Are You Going To Evergreen Fair
by Yankee01754
Summary: Slim, and his adopted family as you might call them, have gone to visit friends and a fair. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

Are You Going to Evergreen Fair

By Yankee01754

 **Chapter One**

There was a bit of a nip in the air as Slim Sherman walked down the street from the livery stable to the General Store. While his partner, Jess Harper, took care of errands at the Feed and Grain and the Saddlery, Slim was going to pick up the grocery order.

He was turning up the collar of his jacket when he heard a young male voice calling to him.

"Mr. Sherman! Wait up!"

Turning, the tall blond rancher saw Tommy Everett, a local rancher's son, approaching.

"Hi, Tommy." Slim greeted the teenager. "What's up?"

"I was hoping I'd see you. I have a favor to ask.

At eighteen, Tommy was just an inch shorter than six-foot-three inch Slim with violet blue eyes and golden blond hair. A lot of girls had their eye on him but Tommy more or less had eyes for one special - to his way of thinking - girl who did not live in Laramie. It was this "relationship" that would garner some teasing from Slim.

"Hi Tommy. How are your folks?" he asked the teen.

"They're fine. Pa says he'll be over to talk to you about the fall drive in a few weeks. Ma's busy putting up the last of the fruits and vegetables. Pumpkins won't be ready for another month unless we get a hard frost before then."

"She's a busy woman, your ma. Reminds me of my mother - and Daisy."

Tommy smiled. Daisy Cooper was very popular with the ladies for her industry, thrift and willingness to help where needed.

"Could you do me a favor Mr. Sherman?"

"What's that Tommy?"

"Would you deliver a letter for me?"

"Why not just mail it?" Slim asked.

"Well, I heard your family was going on a trip. I thought maybe you'd save me the postage and deliver it personally."

"Ah." Slim's light blue eyes danced. "It wouldn't be for someone I know would it?"

Tommy turned bright red.

"Yes. It's for Cam Ramsay. We've been writing back and forth since her first visit. She said you were all going to be visiting for a week. She suggested I ask you to bring the next letter with you so she wouldn't have to wait until the next stage gets into Cheyenne to put it on the train where somebody could pick up the mail for Evergreen - in Red Bluff. She says it sometimes takes a week or more for somebody to do that."

"You wouldn't be getting sweet on her would you?" Sherman couldn't resist teasing the boy who blushed again.

"No! I mean she's a nice girl and all but we're just friends."

"You sure about that? I'll bet your folks were about your age when they started getting serious about each other. I know my folks were."

Tommy denied it. "No, really, we're just good friends is all." Frustrated the teen let out a sigh. "So will you take it to her?"

Slim relented. "Sure. I'll be glad to."

"Thanks Mr. Sherman. Thanks a lot!"

The teen handed his letter to Slim, who tucked it into his inside pocket, then Tommy turned to leave. He had errands of his own to do for his mother and he needed to get at them. Jess drove up in the buckboard just as Tommy was leaving.

"Was that Tommy Everett I just saw?" he asked as he secured the hitching weight to one of the horses pulling the rig.

"Yeah. He wanted to ask a favor," Slim said with a grin.

"What kind of favor puts that kind of grin on your face?"

"He wants me to hand deliver a letter to a certain party in Evergreen."

"You mean Cam? Are they getting sweet on each other?"

"According to Tommy, they're just friends, but he sure did blush when I teased him about it," his partner replied.

"But they're just kids! Doc and Mrs. McAllister can't be too happy about it!" Jess exclaimed.

"You forget that Tommy's eighteen and Cam's going on sixteen," Slim told him. "That's not all that young. My folks were married when Ma was seventeen and Pa was eighteen. They were eighteen and nineteen when they started their family."

"I still say they're nothin' but kids."

"What's the matter pard? Afraid Cam'll forget you're pals if she gets interested in boys?"

The only answer Slim got was a dirty look from his partner as Jess stalked away from him and went into the General Store to see about their order.

The tall blond rancher smiled in amusement. Sometimes Jess was old for his years and sometimes he was young for his years. When it came to Cam Ramsay Jess Harper was little more than a kid. He and the teenager were pals who loved fishing, fairy tales and playing tricks on people.

"You all done with your share of the errands?" Slim asked when he caught up with Jess inside.

"Yeah. I dropped off the harness and put the order in at the feed and grain. Both will be delivered in a few days."

"Good. Let's get this order of Daisy's out of the way then get back to the ranch. We need to finish packing so we can get an early start in the morning."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Mike ? Do you need to..."

"No, Aunt Daisy," the youngster replied.

It was early the next morning and the little band of strays known as the Sherman Family was getting ready for the trip to Evergreen.

Slim was giving last minute instructions to Ben and Jud who would be managing the relay station while they were gone. Jess was double checking the team's harness and the buckboard while Daisy fussed that all their luggage was secure and Mike had taken care of a visit to the outhouse.

Finally everything was done, Slim and Jess mounted their horses and Daisy took up the reins to the team. At last they were on their way.

It would take them a couple of days to get to Evergreen. Because the whole family was going they would spend the night in Cheyenne and catch the train to Red Bluff in the morning. They'd leave the buckboard and team at the stage line's stable but were taking Galway and Rocky with them since the McAllisters only had two horses - a buggy horse for Doctor McAllister and a riding horse for Gordon. Slim had written ahead to make arrangements with the McAllisters to have a buckboard for Daisy and Mike and their luggage.

After supper, Mike had been put to bed. Daisy wasn't far behind and neither were Slim and Jess. It had been a long day of last minute chores, packing, instructions and travel - especially with an active nine-year-old to keep track of. A very excited nine-year-old boy who couldn't seem to sit still for more than five minutes at a time.

The group ate an early breakfast in the hotel dining room. Slim took charge of Mike while Jess helped Daisy when they boarded the train a little over an hour later. The reason, or reasons, being that Slim had the height and reach to keep the youngster in line while Jess was too much an overgrown child at times. He wasn't always a good influence on the boy.

The two young men settled their companions and stowed Daisy's three hat boxes in the overhead rack.

"Why _three_ hats Daisy?" Jess asked, clearly not understanding how the older woman's mind worked when it came to clothes.

"One for church and the others in case one doesn't go with whichever dress I wear later - for shopping or visiting or for that fair we're going to."

"Oh," was all Jess could say. He would never understand women, no matter how long he lived. He'd never tell Slim that though. His partner would never let him live it down.

About six hours later the train pulled into Red Bluff. Slim stood and stretched before reaching for Daisy's hat boxes which he gave to Mike to give the youngster something to keep him busy and out of trouble while they waited for their baggage to be unloaded.

It was while they were at the baggage car that a buckboard pulled up and a tall, red headed man dressed in brown pants and a yellow shirt, topped by a brown Stetson jumped out.

"Mattie - I mean Slim! Welcome to Red Bluff. Next stop Evergreen and the McAllister homestead."

The driver was Gordon McAllister. He was Cam's cousin and probably the only person in the world that called Slim by that particular nickname. Gordy, as Cam called him, had grown up with Slim somewhat. Their mothers had been best friends from the day they met until the day Mary Sherman died. Hannah McAllister considered Slim to be one of her own children and treated him such.

"Oh, no! Not you again!" Slim groaned.

"Slim! That's no way to greet a friend," Daisy scolded her eldest.

"It's the only way to greet this one," Slim grinned as he and Gordon shook hands.

"Jess," McAllister offered his hand to the Texan.

Mike was next. The youngster beamed as he was treated like the other men.

"Last, but not least, Mrs. Cooper," Gordon McAllister said as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "My family is looking forward to this visit very much."

"We're looking forward to it as well," Daisy smiled. "Did you come alone? I thought perhaps Cam would come with you."

"She would have but Mother has her helping with some last minute arrangements for the fair and your visit.," he explained. "Once we have all your luggage loaded we can be on our way."

That being said he grabbed one of Daisy's trunks that Jess pointed out to him and put it in the back of the borrowed buckboard. Slim and Jess loaded the others plus the carpet bags containing their clothes and Mike's.

While Slim and Gordon secured the luggage, Jess retrieved Galway and Rocky. Once Daisy and Mike were settled McAllister climbed aboard, clucked to the team and started them on the last leg of their journey - the one that would take them from Red Bluff to Evergreen - a distance of five miles.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

An hour later they pulled up in front of the McAllisters' new home. The house they had moved out of was too small for David and Gordon to have offices in and still have room for guests. The new house had eight bedrooms, an expanded kitchen and two separate rooms for David, a physician, and Gordon, a lawyer, to have offices at home, rather than renting in town.

The house, white with dark green shutters, three stories high with the third floor used for storage, beckoned the folks from Laramie. It had a wide front porch in front of which were planted rose bushes. The roses had faded and died off at this point but bright yellow chrysanthemums lined the front walkway.

The buckboard had no sooner stopped when Hannah McAllister came out of the house to greet her visitors. The Sherman's hostess wore her strawberry blonde hair on top of her head. She wore an emerald green dress with a white yoke and lace a few inches above the hem. A smile lighted her features as she set eyes upon her long deceased friend's son whom she thought of as a member of her own family.

"Welcome to Evergreen," she called. "Welcome to our home!"

"Mrs. McAllister," Slim said, "it's good to see you again. You remember Jess don't you?"

"Of course I do," Hannah said as she greeted both young men with a kiss on their cheek. "How could I forget the first recovered patient, and guest, to eat more than Gordon does?" She smiled as Jess blushed at the memory.

"I'd like you to meet Mrs. Daisy Cooper - our housekeeper and surrogate mother."

"Mrs. Cooper,, it's a pleasure to meet you at last. Cam has told me so much about you. She truly enjoyed her visit this past summer."

"Please call me Daisy," the other woman said. "We enjoyed having her. She's a wonderful girl:"

"All right, but you must call me Hannah."

"We enjoyed both of Cam's visits," Daisy told Hannah, although I'm sure the boys could have lived without the blizzard, shall we say, of snowballs."

"I'm sure," Hannah McAllister laughed. "I'm afraid Slim must have forgotten who taught her to ambush her prey with them."

"No telling tales, Mother," Gordon said.

The two women laughed.

"He sounds like Jess," Daisy commented. "He's always getting me not to squeal on him."

"I'm afraid some of my sons' mischievous personalities rubbed off on their much younger cousin. Then again, her father was quite the scamp in his younger days."

"Aunt Daisy? I'm hungry," Mike tugged on her hand eager for the talk to end.

"This must be Mike," Hannah smiled down on the boy.

"Mrs. McAllister, this is Mike Williams - our ward," Slim introduced the boy to their hostess. "Mike this is Cam's aunt, Mrs. McAllister." Frowning he apologized for Mike. "I'm sorry for his rudeness."

"Nonsense, Slim," Hannah said. "The boy is obviously tired and hungry and here we are standing around talking! Come inside, all of you. Gordon will see to your luggage."

Holding her hand out to Mike she said, "You come with me, young man, and I'll give you some milk and cookies to hold you over until lunch is ready."

Mike took the hand of the friendly woman and allowed her to lead him to the kitchen. When he was seated she gave him a tall glass of milk and four ginger cookies.

She poured coffee for the adults and joined them at the table. Jess and Mike seemed destined to try and eat as many cookies as they could until both Slim and Daisy glared at them.

"These sure are good," the nine-year-old said around a mouthful of cookie.

"I'm glad you like them," Hannah McAllister told him.

Just then light footsteps were heard coming from the front hall as Cam returned from the errand she had been running for her aunt.

"Slim! Jess! Mrs. Cooper! Mike! I'm so happy to see you," the girl exclaimed as she gave each of her friends a hug and a kiss on the cheek - which Mike promptly wiped away with his shirt sleeve garnering him a hair ruffling from Cam.

Cam's appearance took the men and Mike by surprise, for instead of the pants and boys' shirt she usually wore except for special occasions, she was wearing a dark blue dress with blue and green squares shot through with red lines - the tartan of the Blair clan from whom she got her middle name. Her long black hair was braided and pinned up.

Slim rose to his feet like the gentleman he'd been raised to be.

"Why Miss Cameron Blair Ramsay don't you look nice?" he smiled broadly.

"Cam is that really you?" Jess was stunned to see his young pal looking so ladylike. However, after the debacle with Troy McCanles he'd learned his lesson about making smart remarks about a young lady's appearance. However he did ask, "Where'd that harum scarum tomboy we know and love to go?"

"I'll harum scarum you Jess Harper. I'm going to be sixteen in a couple of months silly. Aunt Hannah and I decided I should start wearing my hair up and wearing long skirts now that I'm growing up so fast."

"You sure look different," Mike lamented. "How are we supposed to go fishin' if you're all dressed up like that?"

"Mike!" Daisy was aghast at the boy's statement. "Shame on you!"

"It's all right, Mrs. Cooper," the girl laughed. "I imagine Jess thinks the same thing only he didn't say it." Walking over to Mike she put her arms around the boy and squeezed. "Don't worry Mike, I'll turn into your pal when I take you fishing."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Cam told him. "Just as soon as the fair is over we'll go fishing. You and me, Jess and Slim and Gordy too if they want.

"Oh boy!" Mike was much happier now.

Jess' face was a study at that announcement. He loved fishing and he loved to take Mike or go off with Slim to go fishing but he had vivid memories of losing a bet with Cam, and later, with Cam and Mike over who would catch the most fish. Cam's bread for bait had worked better than his worms.

"Or Jess could stay behind and find something else to do," the girl said with a twinkle in her eye.

"You think so huh?" The Texan rose to the bait.

"Yeah, I do."

The two of them stared at each other for a long minute before they started laughing.

"Be nice or I'll tell Slim not to give you that letter he's got for you."

"Slim Sherman! You have a letter for me and haven't given it to me yet? Hand it over!"

"Letter? Letter? What letter is that Jess?" the blond rancher couldn't help being a little evasive.

"You know - the one from her sweetheart," Jess' blue eyes sparkled with mischief. He and Cam were pals but he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. It was no different than when he needled his partner.

"Slim Sherman you hand me that letter right now!"

Her tormentors grinned at each other as Slim made a great show of searching his pockets before finally handing her Tommy's letter.

"Men!" Cam snatched the letter from him, her face lighting up when she saw the familiar handwriting.

"Well aren't you gonna open it/" Jess asked.

"Nor in front of you two," the teen told him.

She then excused herself and went to her room to read her letter in private. Slim and Jess' laughter followed her down the hall to the stairs.

"Boys! That wasn't very nice," Daisy scolded.

"Never mind Daisy," Hannah said. "Cam's quite capable of holding her own. My girls were all grown and out of the house by the time David and I got custody of her. She grew up with Gordon and his brothers. That's why she's always been a tomboy." She fixed Slim with a parental stare, "However it would behoove Matthew Jacob Sherman, Jr. to remember what she's capable of when she's riled up. A word of warning from him to Jess would be a good idea as well."

"Yes ma'am," Slim said stifling a grin. He knew Hannah wasn't really mad and Cam would get over it.

Gordon came in with some of the luggage just then.

"Ah, good," Hannah said. "Take Mrs. Cooper's luggage to the guest room next to Cam's room. Slim and Jess have the room next to yours." Turning her attention to the youngest member of the "family" she asked , "Mike do you want to sleep in the same room as Slim and Jess or by yourself in another room?"

Mike looked at his guardians who smiled at him.

"It's up to you, Mike," Slim told him. "You decide for yourself."

"What's it going to be Tiger?" Jess asked.

The nine-year-old thought about it for a minute.

"With Slim and Jess please."

His guardians and Daisy weren't too surprised. It was his first overnight that wasn't taking place at a local ranch or farm. Given the fact that he had witnessed his parents' murder by renegade Indians and had suffered nightmares about it for months afterward, it wasn't a complete surprise that he would choose to sleep in the same room as the men.

"Put Mike's bag in the same room as Slim and Jess'," Hannah instructed her son.

She then turned to her visitors and said, "I'm sure you would like to freshen up and relax for a bit. Gordon will show you to your rooms and tend to your horses. Lunch will be ready in about an hour."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The visitors from Laramie followed Gordy as he led the way to the second floor carrying Daisy's luggage. The rest of it was piled in the front hallway. Slim and Jess grabbed their bags, and Mike's, and followed their host up the stairs where he showed them to the rooms they would occupy during their visit.

Their first stop was a room papered in dark green, with cream colored curtain at the windows. There was a four poster bed with a cream colored canopy, a large dresser with a white pitcher and basin sitting on it and a small table with two chairs next to the front window. A painting of a large flower garden hunt on the wall and there was a big closet for Daisy's dresses to hang in.

"Mother insisted on this room being decorated for female company," Gordy told her. "We hope you'll be comfortable in it."

"I'm sure I'll be quite comfortable in here," Daisy smiled. "It's lovely."

The men, and Mike, left her to get settled as Gordon McAllister took them to the room they would share. It was a large room, furnished with a set of bunk beds and a single camp bed, all with good feather mattresses. There was a full sized dresser and a small chest of drawers.

Seeing their raised eyebrows Gordy explained, "My sister, Aileen, has three boys between the ages of nine and thirteen. The usually share this room when they visit so Mother tends to keep it set up like this."

The walls were cream colored with royal blue drapes at the windows. A picture of snow covered mountains hung on one wall. There were identical wash basins and pitchers on each dresser. Thick blue towels hung on racks attached to the walls near them. Each bed had a dark blue bedspread on it. Blue rugs were on the floor next to the beds as protection for bare feet during cold weather.

"Looks nice, Gordy," Slim said as they put their bags down near the dressers. "Your mother always did have good taste."

"Good, and simple besides," McAllister agreed "There's nothing fancy or pretentious about her decorations or furniture. Simple and serviceable. She always said it wouldn't have been practical to have a lot of fancy stuff in the house with so many kids running around."

"I can believe that," Slim chuckled. "Besides you and your siblings there was me and a bunch of other kids from the area in and out all the time."

"Yep. Running. Jumping. Chasing the girls with whatever creatures we could get our hands on."

"Except snakes," The tall blond said. "She like to have taken the hide off us for picking up snakes. Seems to me we had to settle for worms."

"Yes, we did," the redhead agreed. "Never bothered Cam though. She was just so much one of the boys that she was more apt to get revenge somehow than run screaming to my mother."

Jess listened carefully hoping to hear something to hold over his partner's head later. Mike just listened wide eyed. He found these stories to be more in keeping with his image of his new friend than the girl he'd seen down in the kitchen.

"I'll leave you three - and Mrs. Cooper - to unpack and clean up. Lunch will be ready in about thirty minutes at this point. I'll see you downstairs."

With that Gordon McAllister took his leave and went to his own room, down the hall, to clean up before going back downstairs.

Automatically Jess gravitated to the upper bunk and boosted himself up. Slim oversaw Mike's unpacking before tending to his own clothes and such.

"Jess."

"Yeah."

"Don't you think you should unpack and clean up before we go down for lunch?"

"I reckon." The dark haired cowboy came awake at that. "For a bunk bed that sure is comfortable."

"Mrs. McAllister wouldn't have it any other way," his partner responded.

"Slim." Mike's voice was plaintive.

"Yeah Mike?"

"I'm hungry!"

"Lunch will be ready soon. Why don't you go see if Daisy's ready to go down?"

"Okay."

"How could he possibly be hungry?" Jess wondered. "He just had cookies and milk less than an hour ago."

"I could ask you the same thing some days," Slim joked. "You're like a bottomless pit that food just disappears into."

"Very funny," Jess groused with a sour look at his friend.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The two men finished unpacking and headed downstairs. In the large kitchen they found the table set for eight people A large platter of ham sandwiches sat in the middle of the table. Plates with tomatoes, sliced cheese, lettuce, pickles and onions as well as lettuce fresh from Hannah's garden, were close by.

There was potato salad, cole slaw and a tossed salad as well. A large pitcher contained milk for Mike and Cam. Butter, salt, pepper, cream and sugar were also available for the diners.

'Looks good, Mrs. McAllister," Slim said to his hostess. "Why so many sandwiches?"

"You should know the answer to that without asking," Cam told him as she brought the coffee pot in and started pouring. "Half of it is for Jess. The other half is for those of us who have _normal_ appetites."

Slim started laughing which garnered surly looks from his partner. Everyone else started laughing at that point.

"What's so funny?" David McAllister asked as he entered the room.

"Just having a little fun at Jess' expense," Cam explained through her giggles.

"My dear, dear niece. What kind of fun, at a friend's expense, makes you giggle so much?"

Cam struggled to stop laughing but it was Jess that spoke up.

"They're sayin' that half of those sandwiches are for me and the other half for the rest of you." The Texas was a little annoyed

"Ah." David McAllister's dark eyes twinkled. "Well considering how much you ate of the trout and pot roast, just before you and Slim left for home a year ago, I'd have to say that's just about right."

Jess' protest was drowned out by the laughter of the others present.

Doctor McAllister greeted his wife and niece with kisses and shook hands with Slim and Jess. , then he was introduced to Daisy and Mike.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Cooper," David said. "Cam speaks of you often and truly enjoys the letters you send."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well and, please, call me Daisy."

"All right, Daisy, and you must call me David."

"David it is,", the lady smiled.

"And this young man must be the famous Mike Williams I've heard so much about," Dr. McAllister said, looking at Mike.

"Me? Famous?" the boy asked.

"Why yes. According to Cam, it was your good luck kiss that helped her win that horse race when visited you last summer."

"It was?"

"You bet it was," Cam told him as she squeezed him. "This is my Uncle, Dr. McAllister, Mike. Uncle David this is Slim and Jess' ward, Mike Williams as you guessed."

"It's nice to meet you, Mike," the man said as he seated his wife and their niece at the table.

After a short blessing, the McAllisters and their guests dug into the sandwiches and such. Cam got up to refill the adults' coffee cups. There was a pitcher of milk, on the table, for her and Mike and she took charge of refilling the boy's glass when it got close to being empty.

When they were through eating, following the delicious dessert of strawberry shortcake with plenty of whipped cream - of which Jess had three generous helpings prompting more jokes about his hollow legs - Cam helped her aunt with the dishes. Their guests were shooed into the living room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

When the dishes were done, Cam and Hannah went into the big main room of the house to join their guests. David and Gordon were updating the adults on their respective practices and what was happening in town.

Hannah and Daisy exchanged stories of keeping their mens' clothing in good repair and several patterns. Cam sat with Mike who was bored by all the grown up talk and had him tell her about school and his friends and his pony which he had named Giant.

"I'll bet you miss Giant right now, don't you?" she said.

"Yeah, but that's okay. Ben and Jud will take care of him for me."

Cam smiled and then asked, "Aunt Hannah? Have you seen Duncan lately?"

"No dear, not since you two went for a walk this morning."

"Darn! I wonder where he's at?"

A sudden commotion in the yard cut short any more discussion. Cam was on her feet in a flash and out the door before anybody else could react.

A loud squawking, a dog barking and Cam's scolding voice were heard for a few minutes. Just when Jess, in particular, was getting ready to go see if the teenager needed any help the front door opened.

"You're a bad boy, Duncan!" was heard as she closed the door behind her and the mysterious Duncan. "You know better than that!"

As her voice got closer a clicking noise was heard on the wooden floor of the front hall.

"Now you come with me like a good boy!"

Cam entered the living room accompanied by a half grown pup with a tri-colored, thick rough coat. Its face was mostly brown but a strip of white ran from its nose, past its eyes and widened out at the top of the animal's head.

Cam scolded the dog as she pointed to a spot by the stone fireplace.

"Bad dog! You go lie down over there!"

"New member of the family," Gordy quipped.

"A badly behaved member of the family," Cam said as she went back to her seat near Mike. who was looking at the dog with adoring eyes.

"What was he doing this time, as if I couldn't guess?" her cousin asked.

"Chasing the chickens."

Jess got up from his chair and went to kneel by the pup who thumped his rail and let out a pitiful whimper.

"Quiet," Cam scolded.

"What kind of dog is it? Does he have a name?" Mike asked.

"He's a Border Collie, his name is Duncan and he's eight months old," was the answer he got.

"Aren't Border Collies usually herding dogs?" Slim asked.

"Yes, and this one thinks he has to herd our chickens," Cam replied. "I think you can tell by the noise that our hens don't appreciate it.

"Tell us more," Jess said as he made a fuss over the pup.

"If you'll stop treating him like he's a good dog while he's being punished I'll tell you all about the breed and this one in particular," Cam told him. "Really Jess, he was a bad boy and he knows it. I won't have you undoing my attempts to discipline him."

The Texan took the hint and went back to his seat

"So tell us about him."

"Duncan is an eight month old tri-color Border Collie. When he's full grown he will be perhaps 22 inches tall and weight around forty-five pounds. Right now he's nineteen inches tall and weighs about thirty-five pounds. His height hasn't caught up to his weight just yet," Cam smiled as she looked at her still somewhat roly poly pup.

"Border Collies are a Scottish breed and they're excellent dogs for working with livestock or as family pets. They're very active so it's important to keep them busy or they may start chewing on things..."

"Like slippers," Gordon said having had a pair destroyed by Duncan when the pup was six months old.

"I paid to replace them so stop complaining," Cam told him. "He was only six months old when he did that."

The two cousins grinned at each other. It was true that Duncan had chewed a pair of Gordon McAllister's slippers but it was also true that Cam had bought him a new pair to make up for it. Duncan had been scolded roundly for his behavior.

"Duncan's breed, as I said, is known for working with livestock. They're herding dogs. The only problem with that is that he thinks the chickens need to be herded and they don't." She glared at the pup for a second. "We have a lot of work to do on that. He's got to learn not to bother the chickens."

Their visitors, except for Mike, all laughed at the frustrated look on her face and her tone of voice.

Mike looked at the dog so longingly that Cam gave in and called him over.

"Duncan, come here," she said.

The half grown pup got up from his corner and came to his mistress head down and tail drooping. It was clear he expected another scolding.

"Sit," Cam said when he stood in front of her and Mike. "Good boy. Now shake hands with Mike," she commanded.

Duncan promptly sat down and raised his right paw. Mike slid down from his seat on the sofa and eagerly shook hands with the puppy.

"Can he do any more tricks?" the youngster asked.

"He's supposed to roll over and speak when I tell him to. I have to work on that and when he should be quiet."

"Will he do it for me if I ask him?" Mike asked.

"You can try," Cam told him.

The boy told the dog to "roll over" but the puppy just looked at him.

"Roll over,' Mike said again.

This time Duncan barked - loudly and excitedly before running to the front door where someone was knocking.

"I'll go Aunt Hannah," Cam said. '"I have to get Duncan anyway and put him in the corner again."

She came back a few minutes later with two people in tow - a young woman and a boy around Mike's age.

"Mrs. Harrison needs to talk to you, Aunt Hannah. She had to bring Billy with her because there's nobody at home to watch him."

"Of course, Caroline. Why don't we go into the kitchen so we won't disturb my visitors," she said after everyone had been introduced.

"I'll take the boys outside," Cam said. "They'll be bored with all this grown up talk. Come on boys, let's go outside while the ladies talk."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Cam, and the two nine-year-olds, went out to the big side yard followed by Duncan who attached himself to Mike. Cam smiled at the sight. One half grown puppy and his new best friend were pretty picture.

The boys started throwing sticks for Duncan. "Fetch" was a command he knew, understood and sometimes obeyed.

When they tired of that they sat down on the bench in the sunny yard and started talking. The talk escalated into an argument for Billy had a reputation as a skeptic and for being somewhat of a loudmouthed bully.

"Slim 'n' Jess are the best!" Mike declared.

"Best at what?" Billy wanted to know.

"They can both ride real good and fish - "

"Better not mention the fishing," Cam said jokingly.

"Oh, okay," Mike said suddenly remembering the outcome of their joint fishing trip during Cam's first visit.

"Tell him about the ranch and the stages," Cam suggested.

"Well Slim and Jess can both drive the stage and sometimes they guard the money that's being sent to some bank or something. They both break wild horses but Jess does it more than Slim. Not too many of the horses fight him for long though. They know who's boss."

"And they take care of the horses that pull the stages - even making new shoes for them sometimes and doctoring them when they're sick."

"So what? Anybody can co that!" Billy wasn't impressed.

"Aunt Daisy takes care of the house and us and feeds the passengers. She says Jess eats more than all the rest of us do!"

Billy just scoffed. "That's nothing. My brother won a horse race on a horse he trained himself."

"Billy, you forget, that _I_ won a horse race last summer even though I wasn't the one to train the horse I was on. And your brother," Cam said pointedly, "came in _second_ on a horse he's been riding for years."

Mike beamed when he heard that. He'd been at the race Cam won. Jess was supposed to have ridden his new colt, Galway, but had disappeared. By the time Slim found him, and they got to the starting line the race was over and Cam had won.

"Told you Jess was better!"

The two boys argued back and forth, about what their brothers - and other relatives were best at - until the shouting match turned into a shoving match and a knock down drag out fight. It didn't help matters when Duncan got excited and started barking and running around the two combatants.

Cam tried to put a stop to it but got kicked for her trouble by Billy. She couldn't get hold of Duncan because he was running in circles around the two boys. Finally, desperately, she put two fingers to her mouth and whistled.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The men were sitting the living room talking when the piercing call from the side yard got their attention. The ladies had moved from the kitchen to the attic and couldn't hear what was going on.

"What was that?" Slim asked.

"That's Cam," Gordy said as he got out of his chair in a hurry. "I taught her that as a trouble signal. She must need help."

The visitors from Laramie were hot on his heels. The scene that met their eyes was one of utter chaos. Every time Cam got a grip on one of the boys he pulled loose and went after his opponent. She'd get hold of the other one with the same results. Added to that was Duncan's excited barking and the chickens squawking and Cam's voice trying to bring order out of the mess.

"What in the world?" Slim's eyes widened at the sight of a dusty and disheveled Cam trying to separate two fighting nine-year-olds and calm her dog at the same time. She obvious was holding the short end of the stick.

Wordlessly the three men waded into the fight. Jess got hold of Mike and held him off the ground by virtue of the hold on his belt. It was a tactic he used at home when Mike tried to avoid taking baths.

Slim got hold of Billy Harrison by his belt and held him back, though not off the ground like Jess was doing with Mike.

Gordy helped his cousin get hold of her excited puppy and dust herself off. Then he demanded, "What's going on out here?"

"The boys little 'discussion' about their 'brothers' went from a shouting match to a shoving match. I could handle the boys," Cam said, "but not two fighting nine-year-olds and an excited half grown dog.

"Mike, what are you doing fighting? Didn't we teach you better than that?" Slim asked.

'"Oh, don't blame Mike," Cam told him. "Blame Billy. He told Mike he was a liar and he's the one who started the fight."

"Ow!" Slim yelped as Billy's flailing left foot connected with his shin. "Cut that out!"

"Settle down, Tiger," Jess said to the struggling Mike.

"Duncan! Quiet!" Cam scolded as she, and Gordy, got hold of the overly excited pup. It took the two of them to hold him he was squirming so much.

"Good gracious!" Hannah's voice was heard from the kitchen door. "What's all the excitement?"

"Let go of my son!" Caroline Harrison demanded of Slim.

"Gladly," the rancher said as he received yet another kick in the shins.

"Billy, come here darling. Did he hurt you?"

"Me hurt him?!" Slim was stunned. "All I did was keep him from fighting with Mike and got kicked in the shins - twice - for my trouble."

"Caroline, I think in the future, it would be wise if you left Billy at home or sent me a message that you can't come." Hannah was polite but firm. "I've warned you before, that your son is disruptive and a bully and now he's picking fights with my guests."

"Well I never!"

"No, you never. You never discipline him." Hannah was losing her patience. "I've known Slim Sherman since he was a baby. I know how he was raised and I know how he turned out. While I don't know Mike I don't believe that his guardians would allow him to get into fights without good reason."

Turning to her niece she said, "Cam, I think it would be a good idea if you put Duncan in the house and kept him there for a while. Those chickens aren't going to calm down while he's out here." Jess was next. "Jess, take Mike inside and clean him up. I think Cam has a surprise for him which she won't take him to get until he's cleaned up and calmed down."

Caroline Harrison left in a huff. Hannah watched her go with a sad smile before turning to go into the house.

"She'll never learn, I'm afraid," Hannah said to nobody in particular.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Fifteen minutes later their visitors were ready to leave. Mike was all cleaned up and, when they came back outside, they found that Cam had the buggy all hitched up and ready to go. Slim and Jess would rider Rocky and Galway. After being cooped up in the baggage car for several hours the two horses needed to stretch their legs.

"Where are we goin'? What the surprise?" the excited boy asked.

Cam smiled mysteriously and said, "You'll find out soon enough." She guided the horse in a northwesterly direction headed for the far side of town and a few miles beyond. The two men began to recognize the area as they approached a little farm.

Cam pulled the buggy up in front of the barn and called, "Mr. Quinn? Are you here?"

Peter Quinn, the older man from whom Slim had purchased Galway for Jess, came out of the barn. He was a medium sized man, about five feet ten - with silver hair and blue eyes which twinkled when he saw the girl and her companions.

"Well, Miss Cameron, have you brought me a return customer?" He remembered Cam's friends - and the now grown up Galway - from their visit over a year ago.

"You'll have to ask Slim that question," the girls said. "In the meantime I'd like you to meet Mike Williams. He's Slim and Jess' ward. I told you about him."

"Nice to meet you, Mike," the man said shaking hands with the youngster. "Nice to see you young fellas again as well. How's that colt working out that you bought?"

"This is that colt," Jess said proudly indicating his mount. "He's turning out to be a good cow pony - and he's won a few races besides."

"Yes. I heard about that one race," Quinn said. "Gave the prize money to that orphanage in Brimfield didn't you? After a little 'persuasion'?"

"Argument is more like it," Slim said.

"Yeah, more like an argument," Cam giggled, "but Mike, here, came up with the solution and that ended that.

Quinn smiled. He'd known the girl since she'd come to live with her aunt and uncle almost elven years ago. She sometimes gave new meaning to the term "stubborn Scot".

"I reckon you're here for the surprise you arranged for this young man." he said to his granddaughter's friend.

"Yes sir, we are. I haven't told Slim and Jess about it but I think they'll approve."

The two men in question looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"What are you up to?" Slim asked.

'I'm not up to anything except making sure Mike has a good time while he's here," Cam told them.

"Kerry, bring Yankee Doodle out," Mr. Quinn called into the barn.

Seconds later a girl Cam's age, but with sandy hair and green eyes, came out leading a small buckskin colored horse.

"He's for you to ride while you're here, Mike," Cam told the little boy with the wide eyed look on his face.

"For me?"

"On two conditions," the teen told him. "First it has to be okay by Slim and Jess and second, because you don't know the area - or this horse - you don't go anywhere unless someone older is with you."

"I promise! Can I have him Slim? Jess?" The boy looked pleadingly at his guardians.

"I don't know," Slim said looking at his partner.

"Slim Sherman! Would I steer you wrong about a horse or a pony? I'm the one who picked out Galway for Jess - remember?"

"She did that all right," Jess said thoughtfully.

"Oh come on you two. The suspense is killing poor Mike." With a sly glance at Jess she added, "Yankee Doodle's going to be awfully disappointed if you don't say yes. I've been telling him all about the special little boy who was going to be riding him for a week since we got your letter saying you were coming."

"Please Slim?"

Jess dismounted and walked over to where Kerry stood holding the buckskin. The Texan smiled at the teen and then ran his hands down the animal's legs, checked its teeth and eyes before nodding to his partner.

"Well I like that!" Cam said feigning indignation. "You don't trust me!:

"Aw it ain't that," Jess protested.

"I know," Cam said as she, Kerry and Mr. Quinn burst out laughing. "You just had to be sure I wasn't pulling the wool over your eyes or setting you up."

Jess grinned sheepishly. "Well, yeah. It wouldn't be right not to check."

"I assure you, Mr. Harper, this horse is sound as a dollar and very gentle. Cam said Mike rides some but mostly with one of you."

"Please Slim" Please Jess?" Mike pleaded.

The partners looked at each other for what seem to mike to be an eternity.

"Ok. If Cam and Mr. Quinn have gone to all this trouble, and Jess found no problems, you can have him to ride while we're here - on the conditions that Cam set."

"Yippee!"

"Here, young man," Mr. Quinn said reaching down for Mike. "Let's get you up in the saddle so you can try him out."

The boy rode Yankee Doodle happily around the yard under the watchful eye of his guardians and the others. They got along just fine. Mike's eyes were shining as they said good-bye and headed back toward the McAllisters' with a dark gray Morgan/Quarter Horse cross name Smoke, that Cam was borrowing for the week in order to be able to show her friends around the area they had not seen.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

As they drove, and rode, into the yard Gordon McAllister came out of the barn.

"Well I see everything went all right at Mr. Quinn's. How do you like Yankee Doodle, Mike/"

"He's great!" the youngster exclaimed.

Gordon smiled at the boy's enthusiasm.

"I see Mr. Quinn let you borrow Smoke again," he said to his cousin.

"Yeah. I'm going to show the fellas, and Mike, around the area before they go home. I think we'll ride out to Aspen Lake for our fishing trip."

"Sounds like a good idea. I hope you're planning on letting me come as well."

Cam looked at him with twinkling eyes. "That depends on how well you behave yourself this week."

The girl ducked behind her friends as her cousin reached out to tickle her.

"If you have enough energy to harass me, you can just see to the buggy, Smoke and Galen while I go help Aunt Hannah with supper."

The three men, and the boy, took over the care of all the horses - feeding, watering and grooming - finishing up just as Hannah called to them to wash up.

Dinner was a boisterous and noisy affair as the group feasted on pork roast, potatoes and beets from the McAllister Garden, fresh bread with butter, plum preserves and strawberry jam, butternut squash that had butter, brown sugar and cinnamon stirred into it with gingerbread topped by a choice of applesauce or whipped cream for dessert.

Shortly after dinner a protesting Mike was shuffled off to bed. It was only when Cam promised to tell him a story about when she first met Slim and Jess, that he went willingly.

"You be careful what you tell him," Slim warned. "I can tell some stories, too you know!"

"Not as good as I can," Cam declared with a laugh.

Not too long after Mike went to bed everyone else retired as well. There were still a few days before the fair would open but final preparations and set up needed to be done.

The next day found Hannah and Cam mostly at the fair grounds. Cam left Mike in charge of Duncan under Slim and Jess' supervision and with strict instructions on the pup's behavior and diet. It was okay to take him for a run but one of the men needed to be with him in case Duncan got too strong for him or got away somehow.

Dr. McAllister had patients in and out all day but nothing serious,while Gordon spent the morning in his office working on the paperwork for an upcoming court case.

Never one to be idle when there was work to be done, Daisy accompanied Hannah and Cam to the fairgrounds and helped with the decorating of booths and arranging the exhibits as they arrived. The women on the fair committee were glad of an extra pair of hands. With everyone working together the large Grange Hall was decorated with red, white and blue bunting on the outside and autumn colors of green, yellow, orange, brown and dark red on the inside.

Tables were set up and covered with tablecloths where appropriate. Flowers were arranged in vases and placed near doorways, as well as on tables where the judges and exhibit chairmen would sit as they assisted exhibitors and compared notes on winners.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

By the time they were finished it was close to dinner time. Cam left a little ahead of Hannah and recruited all of the men, and Mike, to help peel potatoes while she got the chicken ready to fry. Mike helped her shuck the corn. He was quick and efficient at the chore which Cam filed in the back of her mind for future reference.

Hannah had little to do but make fresh biscuits. Cam set the table with a dark green tablecloth and their best dishes, cutler, glasses and cups and saucers. Mike was given the salt, pepper, cream, sugar and butter to put on the table. Cam retrieved a jar of honey, plus raspberry and blackberry preserves as they were kept on a shelf that was too high for Mike to reach.

Dr. McAllister and Gordy excused themselves immediately after dinner to finish some paperwork. Gordon's case was coming up in a couple of weeks. He wanted to go over everything to make sure he had the names of all the witnesses - and a list of evidence to be presented.

Dr. McAllister was checking the records on some of his patients and deciding which ones he most needed to check up on at home and which would be in to see him at the office.

For a couple of hours Cam gathered the items she was planning on exhibiting. There was a quilt, a dress, an embroidered tablecloth and some sketches she'd done - from memory - of Laramie.

When everything was neatly packed in a box to be brought to the grange building in the morning she took Mike and Duncan out for one last romp before bedtime. When they returned to the house the two youngsters went to bed. Cam was. by nature, an early to bed, early to rise person. She'd shown that during her first visit to Laramie when, despite the long trip, she was up doing chores before anyone else awoke. She volunteered to put Mike to bed so Slim and Jess could read, whittle or play checkers. Daisy was free to discuss gardening, recipes and sewing patterns with Hannah.

Mike's bedtime story that night was about Scottish rebel - to some an outlaw - Rob Roy McGregor.

"He was really that famous?"

"He was," Cam told him. "Even more famous than Jess. The people knew Rob Roy so well that never, _ever_ did they put his picture on a wanted poster."

"Wow! Wait'll I tell Jess!"

"Tell him tomorrow, Tiger," the girl said. "It's time for you to go to sleep."

"Cam?"

"Yes, Mike?"

"Can Duncan sleep with me tonight? He can take Buttons' place. I miss Buttons already."

"Let's ask him," Cam suggested, whistling for the dog who was in the parlor with the adults.

When he came to them Cam asked, "Duncan, do you want to sleep with Mike tonight?"

The puppy looked at the young boy's eager face and jumped up on the bed to give him a face washing while his tail wagged furiously back and forth.

"Well, I guess that answers that," Cam smiled. "Duncan, off the bed. You sleep on the floor."

Once she was sure the puppy would stay put, she kissed Mike good night and blew out the lamp. She left the door open a couple of inches in case Duncan needed her to let him out for a few minutes. He hadn't had an accident for months and she intended to keep it that way. Slim and Jess were coming down the hall as she did so so she told them about leaving the door slightly ajar.

Off to bed she went. The men turned in and shortly thereafter the three McAllisters and Daisy did as well. Duncan did wake Cam up once, but within ten minutes after that they were back inside and sound asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Breakfast was ham, eggs, fried potatoes and bread toasted in the oven. Fresh butter, several kinds of jam were on the table as well as coffee and milk. Everyone resisted the temptation to tease Jess about his appetite - especially when they saw how much Gordon McAllister packed away. Slim's eyebrows went way up as he watched.

"Looks like my pard has some competition," he commented eliciting giggles from Cam and Mike.

After breakfast Jess volunteered to help Cam bring her exhibits to the Grange Hall. He had it in mind to try and find out how serious she and Tommy were about each other.

"So how serious are you and Tommy?" he blurted out when they were out of Slim and Daisy's hearing. He knew Slim would have his head if he heard him.

"Serious? About what?" she asked him. "We're just friends is all."

"Friends? He writes you letters that you don't let anybody else read but you're just friends?"

"Yes. Just friends."

Jess teased her all the way to the exhibit hall but got nothing more out of her.

"Good morning, Cameron," the lady in charge of the sewing exhibit said.

"Good morning Mrs. Peterson," Cam replied with a smile. "This is my friend, Jess Harper, from Laramie. He volunteered to help me bring my things so I wouldn't have to make two trips. Jess, this is Mrs. Lorraine Peterson."

"Ma'am," Jess tipped his hat by way of greeting.

"Mr. Harper."

"Jess and his 'family' are staying with us for a week. We'll be at the fair all weekend."

"I hope you all enjoy yourselves, Mr. Harper. We have a lot of things planned for children and adults alike."

"I'm sure we will," the Texan replied.

"I'm entering this quilt I just finished and this dress," Cam said taking them out of the box and hanging the dress, which was mostly yellow with a white yoke, white eyelet trim at the cuffs of the sleeves and narrow black velvet ribbon which formed a bow in the middle of the yoke.

"You made that?" Jess asked his young friend.

"And the quilt," she affirmed.

"I didn't know you could do those things."

"Did you think I only fish and read?"

"Cameron sews beautifully," Mrs. Peterson chided the visitor.

Jess turned beet red. "Well I guess - I just never thought about it."

At this point in the conversation other women - young, old and in between - were starting to arrive with their sewing projects so Cam finished filling out her entry forms and started to move to the area where the art work would be displayed.

"Who's your friend, Cam?" several young women asked as they eyed the dark haired cowboy with her.

"A friend," she answered.

"Aren't you going to introduce him to us/" one curvaceous redhead asked.

"No, I don't think so," the teen answered.

Jess was puzzled for a minute until he saw how the woman was eying him. He tipped his hat politely but stuck close to Cam's side.

"What was that all about/" he asked when they were safely out of earshot and on their way back to the McAllister house.

"That was Jeannie Riley. She collects thing - including people. I avoid her as much as possible."

"Don't ya think I can look out for myself?" Jess asked.

"Not in this case," the girl said. "Besides she's got four older brothers who like to beat up on those who don't 'do right' by her. I don't want my friends to become part of her collection or their victims."

"You think I can't take care of myself?"

"I've heard all about how well you can handle herself in what Slim calls an 'even fight," Cam told him. "I just don't want you to have to. Jeannie uses people. She collects admirers and so-called friends, uses them for what she can get out of them and then throws them away like they're trash.": She sighed in frustration. "Look, just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I don't see and understand."

Jess reached out and put an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Ok. I forgive you."

That got him a dirty look which made him laugh.

"Funny." Her brown eyes flashed then twinkled. "Race you back to the house."

That said, she took off running. Jess was hot on her heels. Both were laughing when Cam beat him by half a step.

"You cheated!" Jess accused her.

"Me? How did I cheat?"

"You started running before I was ready."

"Jess Harper! You're two inches taller than I am and your legs are longer. You could have won if you tried."

The argument, such as it was, went on until they both broke down laughing.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

"Did you get your things safely to the Grange Hall?" Hannah asked as the laughing duo walked into the living room where she and Daisy were doing some mending on the family's wardrobe.

"Yes, ma'am. Jess didn't drop a thing and he didn't get snared by Jeannie Riley either. I made sure of that."

"Who's Jeannie Riley?" Daisy asked.

"Trouble with a capital 'T'," Cam replied.

Hannah explained. "Jeannie is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in the area. She likes to use people for what she can get out of them. She snares young men whom she believes have money to spend. If they don't she ends the relationship immediately. If they refuse to spend money on expensive gifts or take her to the theater or to fancy restaurants she either pouts, complains or sics her older brothers on them.:

Kissing Jess' cheek she told him, "You better listen to us - Cam and me. We won't play matchmaker - though the idea is tempting I must say," she teased him. "Yet we _will_ keep an eye out for the troublemakers. Cam's friends have older sisters. I'm sure Slim remembers some of them."

"Especially Kerry's older sister and Tami's and Lori's got two just about the right age."  
Cam couldn't resist putting her two cents worth in.

"No thanks," the Texan responded.

The women laughed.

"The fair opens to the public the day after tomorrow," Hannah told their guests. "Cam and I will be back and forth, today, checking in with exhibits and distributing fliers. You're welcome to come with us or amuse yourselves. I believe Slim is going to go with David on his rounds to the outlying farms today to keep him company. Gordon is finishing up some paperwork for his next court case."

"I promised to take fliers to the outlying farms and ranches," Cam said "I thought, if Jess and Mike want to help we could ride as far as Red Bluff and pass them out. It'll be good publicity for the fair and a chance for them to see some of the area. Plus I'm sure Smoke, Galway and Yankee Doodle could use some exercise."

"That's a fine idea," Hannah agreed. "Jess, why don't you get the horses ready while Cam changes her clothes?"

"Sure, the Texan agreed. "Where is Mike anyway?"

"Out back playing with Duncan," Hannah told him. "I told him it was all right as long as they stayed in the yard. I believe he's throwing a ball around for him. Or a stick. The nice thing about this house is that we have a good sized back yard."

As Cam started toward the hallway, to go upstairs, she told Jess, "I'll only be a few minutes. I need to change into my riding skirt and a blouse since we're going on horseback."

"I'll go saddle the horses," Jess said.

"Send Mike in with Duncan would you? That pup will be more hindrance than help if we take him with us. Mike can put him in his corner by the fireplace. Aunt Hannah will see that he stays put until somebody has time to take him out again."

Ten minutes later the girl came back downstairs wearing a brown divided riding skirt and a royal blue blouse that was open at the throat. On her head was the hat Slim and Jess had bought her on her first visit to Laramie and the blue bandanna - dark blue - was fastened around her throat. She wore a fringed leather jacket as well since the day was quite cool.

After checking that Duncan was where she wanted him she kissed her aunt good-bye promising they'd be home for supper. She had money she'd earned, doing sewing jobs and mending for neighbors who didn't have the time, or the skill, to do them themselves. She planned on treating Jess and Mike to lunch at a restaurant in one of the towns they would be passing through.

Out in the barn, the Texan was just finishing up with Smoke. Galway and Yankee Doodle were ready to go.

"That hat looks familiar," he joked.

"It should since you and Slim insisted on buying it for me last summer - and the bandanna as well."

"Thought it looked familiar, "Jess said.

Cam just wrinkled her nose at him as he helped her into the saddle.

"Ready for a long ride Mike?" she asked the youngster.

"Sure!"

"Well, then, let's go. First stop is the Grange Hall where we will pick up some fliers and posters about the fair." She turned Smoke toward the center of town. Her two companions flanked her.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

They were ten minutes at the hall collecting fliers and posters. One of the men gave them a hammer and some tacks so they could hang posters on bulletin boards and such as they went along.

Turning north as they left town, the trio headed for the tiny mining community of Silver Creek first. There they handed out fliers and hung posters at the general store and the livery stable. By the time they reached Eagle Bluffs the sun was high in the sky and it was almost lunch time.

"We can leave the horses here," Cam said as they got to the livery stable, "and have lunch at Katie's. The horses will have a rest, some hay and water, while we eat. The food at Katie's is good and it's reasonable. The servings are generous."

All three were hungry and it didn't take long to decide on the beef stew with fresh bread and butter as well as coffee and milk. There was chocolate cake for dessert. When lunch was over they retrieved their horses and went on their way. They passed through several small towns before they arrived in Brimfield - the town where the orphanage was located. On the edge of town stood a two-story house that had been damaged by years of storms and just plain wear and tear before the fire.

"That's the orphanage we're raising money for," Cam told her friends. "Pretty bad, huh?"

"I'll say," Jess agreed. "When you came to Laramie, last summer, the paper said they needed a lot of money to f ix this place up. I can see why. Why hasn't it been torn down yet - and lumber collected to rebuild?"

"Not one person volunteered if you can believe that."

"If this was Laramie it wouldn't be like this would it Jess?" Mike spoke up

"Nope. Sure wouldn't. Sheriff Cory would have seen to it being torn down and anything worth saying would be put somewhere safe until it could be fixed."

Turning to Cam he said, "Let's finish passing out the fliers and putting up the posters. We can talk this fair up so they get the money to tear this place down and put up a new one that's bigger and better."

With that they stopped in front of the general store and started passing out the handbills. Jess took personal charge of putting up several posters around town. He was really getting involved in this cause.

Jess kept his eye on his two young companions. Cam had been so shy and timid, when they had attended the dance the previous summer. Here though, in a small town with a cause to promote, she was all smiles.

"She's gonna be a heart breaker in a couple of years," he thought to himself "That smile's gonna win a lot of hearts. Doc and Mrs. McAllister are gonna have to watch that some young fella don't sweep her off her feet and talk her into running off with him."

"I saved a flier for us," Cam said when they met up in front of the general store an hour later.

"Let's see," Mike said reaching for it.

"When we get home," Cam told him. "Then we can pass it around and make sure Slim and Mrs. Cooper get to see it too." She folded it up and put it in her jacket pocket.

"Your aunt's expecting us for dinner ain't she?" Jess asked while quelling Mike's curiosity with a look.

"Yes, and we should be heading back. It'll take most of the afternoon to get back."

"They rode back toward Evergreen at a steady, but leisurely, pace. In spite of the chill the sun was warm and the little boy started dozing off. He wasn't used to such long rides. The travel, and the sun, took their toll on him.

They stopped for a moment. Cam slid off of Smoke and climbed up behind Mike ,handing her mount's reins to Jess.

"He can lean on me and sleep the rest of the way," she said. "Smoke won't give you any trouble but it's best not to take a chance with Galway until you've worked with him longer."

Jess didn't argue. Galway was still young and could be flighty. Best to leave the boy where he was and hope Cam was right - which she was about Smoke. He was calm and steady - a good influence on Jess' colt. Cam had learned a lot from him and from Mr. Quinn.

It was around four that afternoon when they finally got back to the McAllisters'. Jess reached up for the sleepy Mike allowing Cam to dismount. While the Texan took the boy inside, the teenager took the three horses into the barn and started unsaddling. Slim came along five minutes later and pitched in. Five minutes after that Jess came back and took over the care of Galway while his friends tended to Smoke and Yankee Doodle.

Half an hour later the three friends went to the house and cleaned up. Cam left her jacket and hat in her room, then went down to help her aunt, and Daisy, get dinner on the table.

Fried chicken, mountains of mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, gravy for those who wanted it, fresh biscuits. All were devoured in a very short time. For dessert there was blueberry pie with whipped cream.

The upcoming fair was the chief topic of conversation.

"I saved a flier for us," Cam said as she finished eating. I'll go get it. I put it in my jacket pocket for safekeeping."

While the adults took their pie and coffee to the parlor and got comfortable she ran lightly up the stairs to retrieve it. She was downstairs a moment later.

"Mike? Come on over here and sit with me. You can help me read it," she patted a place on the sofa next to her.

Everyone else sat in the various chairs except Jess. He was sitting on the floor next to Duncan and giving the pup a lot of attention since Duncan had been largely ignored all day while everyone was busy.

"What does the flier say Cam?" David McAllister asked. He'd been so busy with patients that he hadn't been able to keep up with the plans.

"Evergreen Fall Fling

October 20 - 23

Fun for all

Displays of sewing projects, canned and fresh fruits and vegetables

Woodworking

Paintings and sketches

Livestock judging and auction

Beef and chicken barbecue

Horse race on Saturday

Many other fun events. All proceeds benefit the Brimfield Orphanage. Ribbons and Money prizes."

"Let me see that," Slim said certain that she was leaving something out.

"Here," Cam handed him the flier dreading what she knew he'd see.

"Well, well, well," the tall rancher said. "Looks like you've been holding back. Says here there's to be a dance too."

"Yeah, but I won't be there," Cam told him.

"Still afraid?" Jess asked remembering the how she'd reacted during her first visit to Laramie and the terrible time she'd had.

It was true. Cam wasn't fond of such affairs and, though she'd made some good friends among the young people of Laramie, she'd been manhandled and slapped when she refused to dance with a young troublemaker from another town. Jess had wanted to tear the young man apart but cooler, and wiser, heads had prevailed. Those heads belonging to Slim and Sheriff Mort Cory. Mort Cory had sent them on their way home and dealt with the troublemaker himself.

"I just don't like them is all," the girl said.

The adults exchanged looks. Cam had come out of her shell as far as talking to strangers was concerned, but it was obvious that she still wasn't comfortable in crowded social gatherings such as dances.

"What's this contest about winning livestock for the orphanage?" Slim asked.

"I think the idea behind that," David McAllister said, "is to get the children involved."

"No, Father, not the children," Gordon spoke up. "They're planning to sucker innocent bystanders into entering games and such." He grinned. "I hear there's a dunk tank planned. If it's deep enough maybe I can talk Mattie into volunteering for it."

"Mattie thinks not," Slim said. "If it's real deep Gordy can take my place."

Can giggled while the others laughed. Good friends though they had been since childhood, Gordon and Slim were always goading each other.

"I know. There's a sack race and probably a three legged race." Cam's eyes sparkled with mischief as she thought about the potential match up.

"What can I do?" Mike asked.

The sack race is for everybody Mike. Kids of all ages enter it. Even some of the adults."

"There's a pumpkin carving contest," Hannah told him. "All the young folks from eight years old to teenagers have a chance to create jack o'lanterns. I believe they're awarding prizes for the silliest, happiest and scariest faces."

"It all sounds lovely," Daisy said. "Maybe Slim can find some livestock for the ranch."

'It's a lot of fun," Cam said. "It's busy and noisy and exciting all at once. Mr. Merriweather and Mr. Dawson see to that when they try to outbid each other at the auction."

"Yes, indeed," Dr. McAllister laughed. "Those two old timers are determined to walk away with the best horse or bull."

"Or cow. Or chickens," his son added. "A lot of folks come to the auction just to watch them go at it."

An hour later, after much fair talk, Cam reached up and unpinned her braids and then undid them.

"It's getting late and I have to be at the Grange Hall by nine to help check in last minute entries," the girl said. "I'll see you all in the morning." Looking down she saw that Mike was fighting a losing battle to stay awake.

"Come on, Mike, I'll tuck you in before I go to bed." She helped the sleepy boy up. "Say good night to everyone."

"Night Slim, night Jess."

"Night Tiger. "Good night, Tiger," Slim replied.

"Night Aunt Daisy." He gave her a hug.

"Good night dear. I'll check in on you before I go to bed." Daisy gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good night, Mrs. McAlllister."

"Good night, Mike. Sleep well." Hannah smiled at the boy.

"Night Dr. McAllister. Night Mr McAllister."

"Good night Mike," the two men responded.

"Come on small fry," Cam said after kissing her aunt and uncle and bidding everyone a good night. "Let's get to bed huh? You've had a busy day."

Mike went willingly hoping that his friend would tell him more stories about his guardians.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

The next morning breakfast consisted of oatmeal, eggs and sausage with fresh biscuits, several kinds of jellies and jams and the usual coffee and milk.

Cam, clad in dark green with yellow braid, left for the fairgrounds immediately after she ate. She was helping exhibitors check in their poultry and rabbits.

She came home for lunch and took Mike back with her thinking he'd have a chance to see the rabbits. Some of the children exhibiting them were around his age and he made friends quickly. The teen let him go off with them on the promise that he'd be ready to leave when she was and told the other youngsters to stay within hailing distance. They all agreed and didn't stray too far. Mike didn't want the privilege of being away from his guardians and Daisy to be taken away. At home he only had friends to play with at school or when he was sent to a neighbor's for a day or two.

When it was time to leave Cam called to Mike. They were stopped by a rather short man with brown hair and green eyes who wore a big smile on his face.

"Mike, this is Mr. Morse. Mr. Morse, this is Mike Williams. Mike and his family are visiting us this week and will be at the fair tomorrow and all weekend."

"Hello Mike. I hope you enjoy our little fair this weekend. I'll be looking for you but you may not recognize me."

The boy looked puzzled.

"I'll be in disguise," Morse joked.

"Disguise? Why?"

"It's all in fun, Mike," Cam told him. There will be clowns and stilt walkers and all kinds of characters walking around."

"Tell you what, young fella, since this is your first visit to our fair I'll give you an extra special prize if you recognize me." Looking at Cam he warned, "And no help from Cam."

"I promise," Cam laughed. 'Mike's a smart boy. He can figure you out without any help from me."

With that the trio separated. Once they were on their way home, Cam challenged Mike to a foot race proving to him that they could still have fun together even if she was wearing skirts. They arrived at the front door of the house breathless and laughing.

"What have you two been up to?" Slim asked as they came into the living room."

"Me and Cam..."

"Cam and I," the tall rancher corrected him.

"Cam and I raced from the end of the street and I won!"

"You did? That's great Tiger." Slim gave the girl a look that said he didn't quite believe it. "Go tell Jess and then get cleaned up for dinner."

The youngster scampered upstairs to tell his other guardian about the race. Five minutes later he was cleaned up and arrived in the kitchen with Jess.

Dinner was beef stew with fresh bread and strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert.

The men caught up on their various activities and discussed plans for the visit to the fair.

"You know I've heard there is a contest to win a pig. Sure would be a nice donation to the orphanage," David said.

"A pig for the orphanage?" Slim was surprised.

Yes. They intend to teach the children how to raise animals for breeding, food, milk, wool eggs.." Dr. McAllister continued. "They'll get training in the house hold arts and such as well as the usual reading, writing, arithmetic plus science, history and geography"

Hannah added, "There will be music lessons, art classes, furniture making, pottery and other hobbies that can lead to a job once they're old enough to leave the orphanage after they turn sixteen."

"It sounds like a wonderful place, Daisy said.

"If we can raise enough money to rebuild and get other towns - like Red Bluff to take an interest in the place, it will be," David said. "My family has been promoting it for months."

"I think Gordy should go for the pig," Cam said. "It would look great when prospective clients look into his reputation."

Slim laughed heartily at that garnering a dirty look from his old friend.

"Gordon McAllister. Graduate of Harvard Law School. Prominent citizen of Evergreen, Wyoming. Donor of the first pig to the Brimfield, Wyoming orphanage."

"Very funny. I happen to think Matthew Jacob Sherman, Jr. prominent Laramie, Wyoming rancher donated the first pig to the Brimfield Orphanage sounds even better."

The whole group laughed except Mike who didn't quite understand it all.

"Never mind, sweetie," Hannah said to him. "My family is prone to bad jokes and silliness.

"The fair opens at nine but there won't be much to see except the judging of the larger animals in the show ring," Cam said. The tents that house the small animals - rabbits and the poultry - are off limits during judging."

"You and Jess might want to check out the cattle and horses," David said to Slim. "Some of the champions may be up for sale before the fair closes Sunday afternoon."

"It's worth a look pard," Jess said.'

"I suppose so. Can't hurt anyway. I can always wire the bank in Laramie for the money if we do bid and win."

"And we can vouch for his honesty and integrity and that Jess isn't as mean and nasty as he seems," Cam started giggling.

"Cameron." Hannah warned.

"Sorry. I just couldn't help myself," the girl said.

"If you still had your pigtails, right about now..." Jess playfully growled without finishing the implied threat.

"A good thing I don't wear them down any more," she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Enough silliness!" Hannah said. "You're both setting a bad example for Mike."

"I'll help you with the dishes, Hannah, so you can be ready to leave quicker," Daisy said to their hostess. "It will get the men - and children - out from under foot faster as well.

"That's our cue," Cam said. "I just need to get my purse."

"Cam? Can Duncan come with us?" Mike wanted to know.

"No, Mike. He doesn't know how to behave in crowds or around a lot of bigger animals yet." She hugged the little boy. "When we come home, this afternoon, we'll take him for a long walk and throw sticks for him to chase. OK?"

"Ok."

"Why don't you go get him and lock him in the empty stall in the barn? I already put a dish with fresh water in it in there for him." She tousled the boy's hair. "Be sure to lock the door behind you or he'll be chasing the chickens and following us."

Ten minutes later, Cam, her cousin, Slim and Jess were on their way to the fair.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

The Grange Hall was closed to exhibitors as well as visitors as was the tent with the rabbits and poultry. Both men from Laramie turned up their noses at the thought of watching the sheep judging so they all agreed they'd head for the cattle judging.

"What he heck are those?" Jess asked pointing at some cattle that were mostly black but with a band of white around their middle. "Funniest looking cattle I ever saw."

"Those are Belted Galloways. They're a Scottish breed new to the U.S.," Gordon McAllister explained.

"I'm with Jess," Slim said. "Funny looking critters."

"You haven seen anything yet," Cam told them. "Mr. Campbell raises Highland Cattle. I'd tell you about them but you'd think I was putting you on. You have to see them to 'appreciate' them. If you think the Belties are funny looking wait 'til you see the 'woolies' as I call them."

So saying she took Jess by the hand leaving her cousin to see that Slim and Mike followed.

"See? Aren't they cute?" Cam grinned at the look on Jess' face.

" _Those_ are cattle?" The Texan pushed his hat back on his head. "You're joking right? Somebody's playing a trick on the poor unsuspecting fairgoers. Right?"

"I'll have you know, Jess Harper, that these cattle thrive in winters worse than our worst Wyoming ones. The Highlands, of Scotland, are pretty rugged territory - even in good weather. The Highland Cattle survive just fine."

"With coats like that they should." Slim and Gordon came up behind them at this point.

"I like them!" Mike exclaimed.

"Oh, you do, do you?" Slim laughed

"Yeah!"

"The boy shows good taste," Gordon quipped. "However, I think the Herefords are more to your liking right boys?"

As he spoke a fine looking Hereford bull was being led into the show ring.

Slim whistled. "If that bull is as good as I think he is he'd be great addition to our herd."

'Herefords are good sturdy cattle," Gordon McAllister agreed. "They stand up to the sever winters of Wyoming, Montana and the Dakota territory very well."

"For a lawyer you know an awful lot about cattle," Jess said.

"My brother, Duncan, raises them on his ranch near Yankton. He swears that Herefords and Black Angus are the best beef cattle he's ever raised."

"He wins prizes with them and gets good money for his stock when he sells," Cam added.

Mike was getting bored listening to the men discuss the cattle and the possibility of buying a good bull while they were there so Cam took him and they wandered off to see more of the fair.

As they walked they saw many families enjoying different displays and sampling different foods. Cam bought Mike a pickle and a popcorn ball for each of them.

"Corn husking contest starts in the field in ten minutes. Children twelve and under in ten minutes."

"Come on Mike. Let's get you into the corn husking contest so you can win a ribbon to show Slim and Jess and your Aunt Daisy."

"Okay," the boy was amenable to the idea.

""Here. Sit in this circle. That's where you'll put your ears of corn as you husk them," Cam explained.

The organizer of the event was in charge of the chicken barbecue. The corn was to be cooked and served as part of the chicken dinner. Making a contest out of husking it gave the children something to do and saved the cooks a lot of labor - or the cook's helpers as the case may be.

"Everybody take a seat on the ground in one of those circles." He waited for the dozen or so children to take a seat. "Okay. Everybody see that pile of corn in the middle of the field her? The way this contest works is that you will run to the pile of corn and bring an ear back to your circle. Husk it as fast as you can, put it down and run back for another one. The contest will end when every ear of corn is gone from the pile and has been husked and put in your personal pile. The winner is the one who husks the most ears and wins a blue ribbon showing them to be the champion."

He grinned at the eagerly waiting children. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" They all yelled.

"Ready. Set. Go!" he shouted.

The race was on. Each child ran to the enormous pile of corn to grab an ear. The smart ones, like Mike, were husking them as they ran, thus saving time. They returned to the pile, and their circle, over and over again while their families, and friends, cheered them on.

"Come on, Mike! Faster! Faster!"

"Dave - speed it up!"

"Carrie, love, don't dilly dally. Strip that corn faster!"

Finally, fifteen minutes alter, every ear of corn had been husked and the counting began. Five volunteers from the fair committee counted each child's pile.

Cam stood next to Mike, fingers crossed, hoping her young friend had won. It was a close contest, but finally Mike was declared the winner and given a big blue rosette printed with the words "Winner Evergreen Fair 1872." The boy's face beamed.

"Come on Mike, we have to show your brothers your ribbon." She hugged the boy and then took his hand so they wouldn't get separated by the crowds of people.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

"Where have you two been?" Slim asked when they caught up with each other fifteen minutes later.

"We took a little walk while you were looking at the cattle," Cam told him. "Mike has something to show you."

"Look at this! I won a ribbon!" the youngster said excitedly.

"Where did you win that Tiger?" Jess asked.

"He won the corn husking contest," Cam answered for Mike.

"You did? That's great Mike!" Slim exclaimed.

"I husked thirty-two ears of corn," the boy said proudly.

"The second place winner husked thirty-one," Cam told them. "Mike was just a little faster than they were."

"Good for you, Tiger," Jess congratulated his ward. "Aunt Daisy will be proud of you."

"Aunt Daisy will be proud of him for what?" That venerable lady asked as she and Hannah caught up with them.

"Our Mike won the corn husking contest, Daisy," Slim told her.

"He husked thirty-two ears of corn, Mrs. Cooper. The next closest competitor husked thirty-one."

"That's wonderful dear," Daisy praised him.

"Now we have to find something for Slim and Jess to do besides poking fun at Scottish cattle," Cam said.

"No you don't," Slim said. "I know that look in your eye. It usually spells mischief."

"How can you tell Slim?" Jess asked his partner. "Far as I can tell she has that same look on her face all the time."

"She's got that wide eyed innocent look on her face," Slim said. "That always means trouble."

What Slim never realized, for he was usually preoccupied at the time, was that this was the same look Jess would have on his face just before he made some comment that would have his partner chasing after him. Cam hadn't know Jess for very long but some people would think they'd known each other for years - they were so often alike in their thinking.

"When's lunch? I'm hungry," Mike said.

"Lunch is when the chicken is ready and that should be pretty soon" Cam told him with a smile.

"Small boys, and some big boys, are always hungry," Hannah said with a smile and a meaningful look at the three young men.

"Mother!" Gordon was outraged for himself and the others.

Hannah just laughed at him.

"My dear child, if your father hadn't been making such a good living with his practice, we'd have owed the General Store - and half the farmers in Evergreen - a fortune trying to keep you and your brothers fed.

"I sometimes think it's the same with my three," Daisy chuckled. "But we have two milk cows and a flock of chickens and they go hunting now and then so we can have venison as a change from beef and chicken. Plus Slim buys, or trades, for ham and pork."

The group walked along checking the merchandise for sale. There were books, clothing, hats, hand tooled belts and wallets. There were ribbons and yarn and bolts of silk and satin.

Many vendors sold food - a fact not missed by the ever hungry Mike and Jess. The ladies made them wait, afraid they would ruin their appetites for lunch.

"Hey look! They've got stilt walkers this year."

"They make old Hard Rock, here, look short", Jess said as they saw several that were indeed a foot taller than Slim who wasn't exactly short.

"If they make me look short, you must look like a midget," Slim retorted.

"Enough of that," Hannah scolded. "Behave yourselves."

"Yes, Ma," they all chorused.

"And I thought Mike was the child in this group," Cam quipped.

"Oh, no, dear," Daisy told her. "Slim and Jess can be children too."

"Such a bad influence on my pal," Cam giggled.

Mike, meanwhile was studying the stilt walkers.

"How do they do that?" he asked. The Japanese folks who had found him, after his parents' murders, had been entertainers, but none of them were stilt walkers.

"It takes a lot of practice," Cam told him. "Practice, patience and balance. I can do it for short distances. Jamie taught me."

"That one that's dressed like Uncle Sam, looks familiar," Mike told her.

'He does?" Cam grinned. "Who do you think he is?" she asked.

"I think that's your friend, Mr. Morse."

"Why don't you ask him if he is?"

Mike went over to the man who pretended not to notice him at first.

"What's this all about Cam?" Gordon asked.

"We saw Mr. Morse, yesterday, when we were getting ready to leave for home. He told Mike

he'd give him a special prize if he recognized him at the fair." She grinned, "Unless I'm greatly mistaken he's just won his prize."

The youngster came running back to his companions with an enormous grin on his face and a brightly painted toy that would come to be known as a yo-yo in his hand.

"It _was_ Mr. Morse and he says I'm the first one to recognize him and this is my prize!" Mike was so excited that he didn't stop to take a breath until he finished telling them what had happened.

His guardians laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Let's see that," Slim said. 'Hey this is a nice looking bandalore. Do you know how to use it?"

"No, but you can show me can't ya?"

"Sorry, Mike. I never was any good with them."

"Jess?"

"Sorry, Mike. I've never even seen one before."

"Cam?"

"Not me, pal. Bandalores are one of those things I've never mastered."

The boy's face fell.

"There is someone here who can help you." Cam told the disappointed youngster.

Mike's folks hadn't been much for toys and, since they were always working - or on the move - they hadn't had time to teach him about such things even if they had bought one for him.

"There is?" Mike's face lit up. "Who?"

"Gordy," was the reply. "He's always been good with them. He tried to teach me but I never could get the hang of it."

"As I recall, Cameron Blair Ramsay," that gentleman said, "you lost your temper and threw it halfway down the street."

"Yeah, well it drove me crazy - and you wouldn't stop teasing me about how good you were and how bad I was! The idea was to make you chase it."

"Which I did and brought it home, cleaned it up and tried several more times to teach you how to use it."

"Mr. McAllister? Can you teach me how to use this?"

"Sure, Mike," Gordon said. "On one condition. You have to stop calling me Mr. McAllister. "You can call me Mr. Gordon or Mr. Gordy if you want. We're friends and Mr. McAllister is too formal among friends."

"Mr. Gordon sounds like a good compromise," Hannah said. She knew that Slim, Jess and Daisy were teaching the boy to have good manners and probably, though he called Slim and Jess by their first names, wouldn't approve of him calling Gordon by his first name. Slim and Jess were his guardians but they were like big brothers to him."

Gordon took the bandalore from Mike and proceeded to show the boy the basics.

"Once you get good at that I'll show you how to do some easy tricks with it," he promised.

The group continued to walk along toward the barbecue area. They didn't get very far as some of Gordon's friends surrounded them clamoring for the three men to enter the three legged race which was about to start.

"We have guests this week. I don't want them to think I'm deserting them."

"Oh, go on," Slim said laughing. "Go ahead and enter."

"I will if you will," Gordon countered.

"What do you say, Jess? Shall we give them a run for their money?"

Jess looked doubtful. He'd never seen a three-legged race before and had no idea of what was involved. Slim was taking an awful lot for granted.

"Go on," Daisy said. "Have some fun. Enter the race."

Before he could protest - or ask any questions Slim had him by the arm and was pulling him toward the starting line where a large group of men and boys were milling about getting lined up. Slim, caught up in the challenge, eagerly signed himself and Jess up. When he approached his partner with a piece of rope, Jess became very touchy,.

"What's that for?" he asked suspiciously.

"To tie our legs together. What do you think?"

"Tie our legs together?"

"Why else would they call it a three-legged race?" Slim asked him.

"I don't know," Jess told him. "I've never seen one, let alone been in one."

"You're kidding!" Slim was stunned.

"No I ain't kidding. We didn't have time for fun when I was growing up and gunfighters don't usually get invited to things like this unless it's to show off."

"Oh." Slim was a little taken aback but enthusiasm and the challenge from Gordon and his friends spurred him on.

"It's easy Jess. We use this rope to tie your left leg to my right, or you right to my left. Then when the race starts we try to beat the others to the finish line.

"I don't know about that," Jess said uneasily. "You're a lot taller than I am. I don't see how it can work. And I got two left feet besides."

"Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Well, okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

The partners found a space on the starting line. Slim took the piece of rope given to him by a race official and tied his right leg to Jess' left one. The group of contestants waited anxiously for the signal that would start the race.

"Ready. Set. Go!"

At first it was sheer madness on the racecourse. Pairs of all sizes tried to rush ahead of everyone else. Many were the pairs that fell over, Slim and Jess among them, because they forgot - or didn't know enough - to work together. One was always trying to get ahead without thinking about how they had to make two legs work as one. Those pairs almost always took another pair down with them. Slim and Jess were knocked over several times. Each time Slim managed to get to his feet and help his somewhat shorter friend to his feet.

For his part, Jess was just wishing the race would end before he wound up breaking an arm or a leg or maybe even his neck. He was not having a lot of fun right now stumbling and falling while trying to match the length of his strides with his friend's.

He soon got his wish as Gordon McAllister and his partner, Eric Campbell, crossed the finish line with the second place winners - who were also fairly equal in height - close behind them.

As soon as they crossed the Finish Line, Jess quickly untied the rope binding him to his friend, then swiped ineffectually at his pants and shirt sleeves, trying to get rid of the dust and grass stains. He wondered what Daisy would say when she saw them.

"Daisy's gonna kill me," he mumbled.

"What was that Jess?" Slim was only half listening.

"Nothin'," Jess said.

The crowd of participants and spectators crowded around the winners to congratulate them and tease the locals who had lost.

"Nice win McAllister," one man said. "What's that - three years now? Or is it four?"

"Five. But who's counting?" Gordon joked.

"I think it's time Gordy lost at something," Cam said as she caught up with them.

"Oh, you do do you?" Gordon reached out as if he were going to grab her but she ducked behind Slim and Jess and laughed at him.

"Hey, leave me out of your battles," Slim told them laughing as Cam dodged back and forth switching from hiding behind him to hiding behind Jess and back again.

"I'm hungry," Jess said as he grabbed hold of Cam in order to protect her from her cousin. "Is it time for lunch yet?"

"Yes, it is dear," Hannah said as she and Daisy approached. "Everyone come along now. David is holding a table for us."

It didn't take any persuasion to get the group moving toward the area where they could smell chicken and beef roasting. They took turns holding the table so everyone could get a plate full of whatever they wanted.

Jess, and Gordon and even Slim made three trips through the line. Mike made two but Cam ended up helping him finish.

"That sure was good," Jess said when he finally pushed his empty plate away.

"I think this year's crew outdid themselves," Gordon replied. "That was almost as good as Mother's cooking."

"Thank you dear," Hannah said, "For that vote of confidence in my cooking."

Everyone laughed as they gathered their dirty dishes and brought them to the dish washing crew.

"What's next?" David asked his wife.

"I think we should go to the Grange Hall and check the exhibits. The judging is surely finished by now. I want to see how our niece made out," Hannah told him.

Off to the hall they went. Their first stop was in the art section where they found that Cam's Laramie sketches had won blue ribbons.

"Congratulations Cam!" Slim exclaimed while giving the girl a one armed hug. "These are great! Especially the one of Mort Cory."

"Sure does look like him," Jess agreed.

"I think Sheriff Cory would be pleased - and maybe a little embarrassed," Daisy said, "to see that a likeness of him won such an honor."

"I think I"ll send it home with you," Cam said. "Mr. Cory was very nice to me during my visits - including standing up for my right to ride Galway in that race when Swanson tried to keep me out of it."

They moved on through the fruits, vegetables and flowers where they saw that some of Cam's classmates had taken top honors.

In the baked goods department Hannah's orange sponge cake appeared to be missing.

"Maybe somebody got hungry and ate it," Gordon joked earning him an elbow in the ribs from his cousin.

"Hey look!" Jess pointed at a cake with a big blue rosette and a sign proclaiming that Hannah McAllister's cake to be the top winner in the entire baked goods department.

"Aunt Hannah! That's wonderful!" Cam was thrilled.

The whole family hugged her and her husband gave her a big kiss by way of congratulations.

From there the happy group went through the woodworking display admiring everything from mail sorters to bird houses to small cabinets and chests. There were some truly talented carpenters in Evergreen it seemed.

When they finally got to the sewing section they had even more reason to celebrate for Cam's quilt, a tulip appliqué pattern of cream background and red, yellow and pink tulips blossoms, had won the grand prize for the whole department. Her dress had won a blue ribbon.

"Congratulations, Cameron," Mrs. Peterson smiled. "The judges were quite impressed with all the work that you put into that quilt. Its an honor to have it in our exhibit this year."

Cam blushed at the praise. "Thank you, Mrs. Peterson. It was a lot of work but it was fun to do and kept me busy during the winter months."

The whole family - including the honorary members from Laramie - hugged her until she was quite breathless.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

They left the Grange Hall and headed for the poultry tent as Cam, who was in charge of the chickens at home, was looking to expand her flock and wanted to see who had prize winners and who liked which breed the best. In the end, she decided to hold off making a decision for a while as none of the birds impressed her with their looks or personality.

"Let's go see what's happening that Mike can get involved in," David suggested. "Isn't there a jack o'lantern carving contest today?"

"No, that's tomorrow," his niece answered. "Today they've bobbing for apples and there's a sack race too."

"Which one do you want to do Mike?" Slim asked his ward.

"Apples please!" the youngster said. "And I want Cam to try it too."

"Oh, now, Mike," Daisy said. "Cam's not dressed for that."

"It's okay, Mrs. Cooper," the girl said "I'll manage just fine if somebody lends me a jacket to kneel on," she said with a sly look at her cousin.

"What are you looking at me for?" Gordon asked. "Why not Father or Slim or Jess?"

"Because you're the biggest one of the group therefore I will have more room to maneuver when necessary," she told him.

"She's got you there, Gordy," Slim laughed.

Gordon just gave him a "I'll pay you back for that" look. It didn't bother Slim in the least.

Presently they arrived at the scene of the bobbing for apples set up. A large wooden washtub had been set up in the same field where the corn husking contest had been held. Several dozen children and youths were milling around anxiously waiting for their turn. One of the fair officials was sorting them out by age and another was putting apples into the tub where they floated merrily around the tub.

"All right. Seven to ten year olds first!"

About a dozen children, including Mike, got positions by the tub.

"Hands behind your back now," the man said. "Okay. Ready, set, go!" A dozen heads tilted into the tub trying to get hold of an apple with just their teeth. There was much splashing and grunting from the contestants. Spectators cheered for their favorites - or all of them.

Finally a nine-year-old boy was proclaimed the winner. He happened to be Jeannie Riley's younger brother and every bit the braggart and bully as his best friend, Billy Harrison, who was also entered in the contest but had not gotten an apple.

The bully gave Mike a shove as he passed by him causing the smaller boy to stumble. Slim caught him before he could fall into the washtub which was now being filled with apples again. Dr. McAllister reached out and grabbed young Riley by the collar giving him a good shake.

"None of that now! Apologize to Mike right now."

"Sorry," the boy mumbled insincerely.

"Say it again," David commanded, "and this time sound like you mean it."

"I'm sorry," the boy said a little louder. "Now can I go?"

David gave the young bully another good shaking before letting him go.

"Go on then and don't let me catch you acting like that again!"

The Riley boy took off in a hurry anxious to get away from the man he knew would give him a thrashing if he caught him bullying anyone else.

"He's getting to be more and more like his brothers all the time," the doctor said shaking his head.

"There's nothing more you can about it, dear," Hannah told him. "Until his parents learn to discipline him the way they should, he'll just continue on behaving badly. Let's just be glad Mike wasn't hurt."

"Who was that child?" Daisy asked.

"That's the youngest Riley," Cam told her. The younger brother of the girl that has had her eyes on Jess ever since we bumped into her yesterday morning."

"Their parents have allowed their child to run wild with no discipline whatsoever," Hannah explained. "The older boys are always in fights and Jeannie causes many of them by telling them that some boys, or young man, has mistreated her. Her idea of mistreatment is just what we told you yesterday. It's when her "escort" doesn't buy her expensive gifts or tries to break off the relationship."

"Sheriff Markure has his hands full with that family," Gordon said. "I've had my own troubles with them when I refused - several times - to represent them in court."

"Now you know why I wouldn't let you get friendly with Jeannie," Cam told him. "You just steer clear of that clan."

"Don't worry," Slim told their hosts "We'll stay as far away from them as we can."

Jess put an arm around Mike's shoulders.

"You okay Tiger?"

"I'm okay Jess."

"I think it's my turn to bob for an apple," Cam said brightly, trying to lighten the mood. "Give me your jacket Gordy."

Somewhat reluctantly her cousin did so and Cam found herself a spot where she could put it down to kneel on it while she took her turn.

Five minutes later she grinned triumphantly as she won her round. With not as many apples in the tub, because of fewer contestants in the middle group, it had taken a little longer as the fruit kept bobbing away from those trying to get them.

Her face was dripping wet but she'd managed to keep her dress fairly dry. The same could not be said of Gordon McAllister's jacket. He grimaced at the sight of it - soaking wet and muddy as well.

"Sorry Gordy,": Cam said. "At least you can run home and get your other jacket. We don't live that far - not like some of the other folks."

Jess' eyes were sparkling with mischief at this point. Nobody was paying any attention to him while Cam and Gordy sparred verbally. There were no apples in that tub. Nobody lined up waiting for their turn for the fair officials in charge had gone for more water. Slim was standing close to the tub which was, in reality still about half full, It was the perfect opportunity.

He moved to stand near his partner and pretended to trip. Reaching out he "accidentally" pushed Slim who promptly lost his balance and fell - right into the tub of water.

"Slim!" Daisy was shocked at first but, seeing the look in Jess' eyes instantly knew what had happened.

"Jess Harper! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Jess just gave her a cheeky grin. This was payback for being suckered into the three-legged race.

"Sorry, Slim. It's like I told Mose a while back - I got two left feet." He reached to help Slim up but David McAllister got between them before Slim could retaliate. These two reminded him of his own sons who were always playing tricks on each other, their sisters and cousin. He wasn't going to let things get out of hand.

"One soaking wet guest is more than enough. Slim, you go back to the house with Gordon and change your clothes while he gets his other jacket. You'll find an old jacket of mine in my office. Put it on and hang your wet one over the railing on the front porch to dry."

Still eying his grinning partner balefully, Slim left the group and went with Gordon back to the house to change his clothes. His mood didn't improve when the saw Gordon trying to stifle a grin.

"Very funny," he grumbled.

"Ah, come on," Gordon chided him. "You suckered him into the three-legged race. You had to know he 'd want to get back at you."

"Yeah. I suppose. He probably thinks this makes us even."

The two men arrived at the house twenty minutes after fighting their way through the crowds at the fair. Gordon gave Slim a large towel to dry himself off with when he removed the wet clothes that were clinging to him like a second skin.

As they went out the door and headed back to the fair Slim vocalized his suspicions that Cam was up to something. And leaving her alone with Jess was bound to be trouble.

"I'm telling you, Gordy, she's plotting something."

"What makes you say that?"

'You know how she is. She's got that innocent, angelic look on her face. It always means trouble."

Gordon thought about that for a moment.

"You're right but she's with Jess and my parents and Mrs. Cooper."

"That's even worse. She and Jess have gotten to be pals. What one doesn't think up the other one will and your folks won't see it coming."

"Don't worry, pal," Gordon said patting Slim on the shoulder. "I'll protect you from her mischief."

"And I'll protect you," Slim said with a grin. "Now if your folks and Daisy would keep an eye on both of them I might just get out of this weekend with just a dunking."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

They were arriving back at the fair at this point. Gordon asked several people if they knew where his parents and guests were before they found them at the puppet show that was being performed near the peanut vendor's tent. Mike was next to Cam, Jess was seated to his right and the other three adults were to Cam's left. The puppet show was acting out The Three Billy Goats Gruff. The children, and the over sized child by the name of Jess Harper, were laughing as the goats tried to cross the bridge over the brook where the mean troll lived.

Mike was wide eyed with wonder as the story unfolded. As for Jess, well he was enjoying it every bit as much as the children. He'd never seen a puppet show before.

A hearty found of applause, as well as a lot of jeers and cheers, arose when the mean troll got knocked off the bridge by the biggest of the billy goats.

"Cam, tell me the story of the goats again so I'll know it when we see the puppet show again tomorrow."

"Mike! Cam might not want to see it again," Daisy was not happy with her youngest.

"Oh, that's okay, Mrs. Cooper," the girl said. "We did get here a little late and it was hard for him to see and hear. We're going to get here early for tomorrow's show." Cam gave the youngster a hug. She was really very fond of him and liked doing things with him and for him. Beside she really enjoyed these puppet shows they had at special events like this fair.

"Once upon a time there were three billy goats. They lived in a field that didn't have much grass but across the stream there was a really nice field with lots of grass and flowers."

The group ambled along as Cam retold the story her way. Little did three young men know what she had in mind as she told it.

"A mean, old, horrible, ugly troll lived under that bridge. He was so mean and horrible that most people and animals stayed away from his bridge and found another way to cross over."

The group passed by the stand where lemonade was being sold. David McAllister bought glasses of the drink for each one of them.

Cam continued her version of the story while Mike hung on every word. "So the littlest billy goat goes trip, trip, trip across the bridge."

"Trip, trip, trip?" Slim asked.

"Who's telling this story - you or me," Cam retorted.

"You are," Mike said. "Tell me more."

"Well now that horrible, ugly, mean, old troll said to the little billy goat that he'd eat him up if he didn't pay him to cross his bridge."

Mike's eyes got big. "Did that mean old troll really mean that Cam? Would he really eat that poor little billy goat?"

"He sure would have Mike, but you know what?"

"What?"

"That little billy goat was smart. He told the troll that he, the littlest billy goat, was too small to make much of a meal for a troll. His brother would be along soon and he was bigger. He'd make a better meal."

"Smart goat," Jess commented.

"Yes, he was,"Smarter than a certain scrawny ex-gunfighter I know who'd rather fight," she grinned as Jess scowled at her.

"That's the truth," Slim agreed earning a sour look from his partner.

"Boys," Daisy said. "Stop interrupting!" She frowned at her two oldest. "Go on, Cam, they won't interrupt you again."

"Yes, they will," the teen said, "but that doesn't bother me." She smiled at Mike and continued. "A little while later the middle sized goat came along. Soon the troll heard the clop, clop, as the goat started to cross the bridge."

"What did the troll do?" Mike asked.

"Well, that mean, old, horrible, ugly troll came out of his house yelling and telling the medium sized goat that he would have to pay to cross the bridge or he'd eat him."

"What did the middle goat say?" asked the little boy.

"Well he told that really ugly, mean, nasty, horrible, old troll that he, like his little brother, was too small to make much of a meal. He should wait for his older brother. The biggest billy goat would make a splendid meal for a troll such as he.

"Don't you think you're overdoing it a little?" Slim asked. "I don't remember the troll being described the way you're doing it and I read that story to Andy many times when he was growing up."

"You tell if your way and I''ll tell it mine," Cam retorted and then continued, "So the mean old horrible, ugly nasty..."

"You're overdoing it," Slim repeated.

"...troll," Cam continued, "let the second billy goat go and you could hear him clop, clop, clopping over the bridge, just like a certain person whose size doesn't match his nickname." She wasn't going to let that certain person keep interrupting her without retaliating in some manner.

Mike giggled. He was smart enough to figure out who she was referring to.

"Now the first two billy goats crossed over and they were having a high old time eating grass and flowers and dancing around because they had escaped that horrible, mean, nasty, greedy, ugly troll."

"Clomp, clomp. The biggest billy goat stepped up onto the bridge. He hadn't taken more than two steps before the mean, old, ugly, terrible, nasty, greedy troll challenged him."

Cam stopped for a minute so she could see the look of anticipation on Mike's face. She glared at the three young men who were laughing at her and making fun of her story telling.

"Clomp, clomp?" Gordon said questioningly. "I wonder who she thinks clomps when he walks?"

"I'm sure you can figure that out without any help from me," his cousin responded.

"Mr. Gordy I want to hear the rest of the story. Stop teasing Cam or she'll never finish." Mike was frustrated.

"Just ignore him, Mike," Hannah said while glaring at her son. "Go on Cam."

"Clomp! Clomp! Clomp! The biggest, and heaviest, of the three goats climbed up on the bridge." Cam was warming up for the big finale. "Before he took two steps toward the other side of the stream that mean, old, ugly, horrible, rotten, greedy troll popped up and demanded his money.

"I have no money to give you," said the goat. Get out of my way!"

Mike shivered in anticipation, eyes wide with wonder, hanging on every word she said.

"I let two others cross before you. You shall not get away. The troll lunged at the biggest goat but the goat was faster and butted that mean, old, ugly, nasty, horrible, greedy troll into the stream and it was washed away by the current never to be seen or heard from again. Clomp, clomp, clomp. The biggest billy goat gruff crossed the bridge and joined his brothers in the meadow. When the two small goats heard what had happened to the troll they started singing and dancing. Then they all lived happily ever after with the other goats and the cows and sheep and people who lived on both sides of the stream. Word got around about what had happened to the mean, old, ugly, horrible, nasty, greedy troll and not another troll ever went to live under that bridge again," Cam finished.

"You sure tell a good story, Cam," Mike told his friend.

"She loves it because she gets to exaggerate about the troll," Gordon said on the sly to Slim and Jess.

"How else would you tell someone about how horrible it was?" Jess asked, causing the other two to roll their eyes. Jess was always quick to defend his friends and Cam was not only his friend but much younger and a girl besides.

"They don't bother me, Jess," Cam told him. "I've been dealing with their so-called sense of humor - and complaints since I was a little girl."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**

By this time it was going on three o'clock. The fair would be open two more days. Cam had a puppy locked up in the barn who needed a run and she'd promised Mike he could play with Duncan when they got home. They needed to leave while it was still daylight in order to see what they were doing. Daisy had insisted on helping with the dinner preparations so that Cam could take care of her pet.

The group got back to the McAllisters' house around 4PM. It took longer than usual because they had to work their way through the crowd of fairgoers and do a couple of errands on the way. David McAllister had an order of medical supplies to pick up and Gordon had some stationary. While they were in there Cam bought peppermint sticks for Mike and Jess who was as notorious for having a sweet tooth as Cam or Mike's friends.

"Aren't you afraid they'll ruin their appetite for dinner/" Daisy asked.

"By the time they give Duncan a good run, and play with him for a bit," Hannah laughed, "they'll be plenty hungry."

Daisy had her doubts except where Jess was concerned. Of her three "charges" he was the hardest one to keep filled up.

Hannah was right. Two hours later, when the roast beef and such was on the table, all three were ready to dig in once the blessing had been said.

Jess was limping slightly and Mike was a bit subdued. Duncan had been banished to his corner. The puppy had gotten away from Mike and chased one of the barn cats up a tree. Since Cam was wearing a dress, instead of pants, it was Jess who had climbed the tree to retrieve the frightened feline. Unfortunately, this particular cat hated men and gave him such a hard time that he slipped coming down and twisted his ankle some. He also had scratches on his hand and one sleeve of his shirt had gotten torn.

Slim smirked but he and Gordon both kept their mouths shut. Both Daisy and Hannah were glaring at them as if they knew what was going through their heads. It was a good thing Jess was too busy eating to notice.

When dinner was over, and the dishes washed, Dr. McAllister insisted on taking a look at Jess' ankle.

"It's not too bad. Soak it and stay off of it the rest of tonight until fair time tomorrow and it should be fine by the time the dance starts around seven-thirty. He grinned knowingly at the younger man. "It won't keep you from going to the dance if you take it easy."

"I might have to change my mind about going," Cam said. "I can just see the poor pitiful me look on his face as he limps around the dance floor tomorrow night."

"You're forgetting the part about how all the prettiest girls will flock around him wanting to wait on him hand and foot," Slim threw in his two cents worth.

"You have a point," the girl said remembering the looks her hosts had gotten at the dance they'd briefly attended before a bully had assaulted Cam and ruined the night for her, just when she was beginning to have fun.

Jess ignored the jibes and continued petting Duncan next to whom he had settled on the floor. Gordon was grinning as he listened while starting a fire in the fireplace.

"Sounds familiar," he commented. "When we were twenty - just before the war started - Mattie got thrown by the horse he was riding. He wasn't hurt except for a couple of scratches and a black eye where the tree branch that caused his fall hit him. The girls sure made a big fuss over him for days though. It was a week before they got tired of his phony aches and pains and helplessness."

"Hey! I wasn't thrown," Slim stated emphatically. "That crazy colt deliberately ran under that low hanging branch!"

His friends dissolved in laughter at the indignant tone in his voice and the look on his face.

Mike didn't notice. Two days of travel, a day at the fair and plenty of fresh air and exercise playing with Duncan, had caught up with him. The little boy was sound asleep on the floor, his head pillowed on one arm.

Jess saw it and went to pick him up and take him up to bed just as Cam got up from her seat.

"No, Cam," he said. 'You've put him to bed every night since we got here. It's my turn."

The girl opened her mouth to protest but Slim backed his partner up.

"Let Jess do it Cam,. Mike's our responsibility, not yours. I know you're stronger than you look but Mike's heavier than you think he is."

He rose to follow Jess. Back at home he and Jess usually oversaw Mike's bedtime preparations whenever possible while Daisy heard his prayers and double checked that he had done everything and was tucked in with a good night kiss. She would do the same here so long as she knew she wouldn't embarrass Slim and Jess by walking in on them dressed in nothing but their long johns.

Fifteen minutes later they were downstairs again reporting that Mike hadn't roused while they got him into a nightshirt and tucked in. Duncan thumped his tail on the hearth when he saw Jess come back. The Texan made himself comfortable on the floor next to the puppy playing with Duncan's ears and tail.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

"I need to take Duncan out for a last run," Cam said half an hour later. "It usually helps him settle down for the night."

"I'll go with you," Jess told her. "I could do with some fresh air before calling it a night.:

The two friends grabbed jackets from the coat tree in the hall and went out the front door with the Border Collie pup frolicking at their heels. It was a clear cold night with innumerable stars winking in the black velvet sky and a bright white moon. Enough of a breeze was blowing that both Cam and Jess turned up their collars.

"Sure is a pretty night," Cam said.

'Yeah. Cold though. Winter's comin' too soon to suit me," the Texan replied.

"Cold? You call this cold/" Cam scoffed.

"To me it is. I ain't ever gotten used to the weather up here."

"Hah. Texas boy thinks a Wyoming winter is cold? What about those blue northers they get down there in your old stomping grounds?" Her eyes twinkled. "Or when certain parties used you - and Slim - for target practice with snowballs last winter?"

"I still owe you for that," Harper growled playfully.

Cam just smacked him on the arm and started running which got Duncan running and Jess got left behind as they headed in the direction of the creek where the fallen tree locals used as a bridge was located. He caught up with them at the fallen tree that served as the means for crossing over without wading.

Seeing the creek Jess stopped up short. He had vivid memories of his first visit to Evergreen and the dunking he had taken.

"Come on slow poke," Cam said. "We have to cross over so we can circle back through town before we go back to the house."

"I don't think so," Jess said. "It ain't safe to cross at night."

"It's just as safe at night - a night like this with the moon and stars out - as it is in daylight," the teen told him.

No." Jess was adamant. He wasn't crossing the creek on that tree again.

"Suit yourself," Cam hopped up on the tree and started across with Duncan right behind her. The sight of his young friend and her half grown dog crossing the creek so easily shamed him. He felt like a coward.

"I ain't so sure I can do this with my bad ankle," he tried to make her feel guilty enough to come back to his side of the creek and just double back the way they had come. It didn't work.

"Your ankle isn't that bad, Jess. Uncle David said it would be fine if you took it easy tonight and tomorrow morning before we go to the fair. Now quit being such a scaredy cat."

"I ain't a scaredy cat!" I just don't think it's safe to cross over on that log at night." Jess wasn't about to give in if he thought he could talk her out of making him do this.

Cam wasn't about to give in. Like her Scottish forebears and relatives she was very stubborn. She saw no reason why Jess shouldn't cross over on the log like she and Duncan had. He wasn't clumsy or anything. The log was plenty wide enough for him to place his whole foot on. It was easy enough for her, her friends and Gordon to do.

"Come on Jess," Cam coaxed. "It's not that hard. Besides Aunt Hannah and Uncle David will be sending Gordy out to look for me if we don't get back in the next ten minutes or so. You don't want him to know you're afraid 'cause he'll tell Slim and you'll never hear the end of it."

That got the Texan moving. The last thing he wanted was to listen to Slim kid him about refusing to cross on the log. He remembered all too clearly the first time. He'd lost his balance, fell, and pulled Slim in with him. Cam had stood on the oppose bank laughing her head off at them. Even worse was having had to admit that his only other pair of denims had a rip in the knee that Hannah hadn't had time to fix yet. Or so he believed. Slim made him tell the whole story of how he had tripped on a tree root while playing hide and seek with Cam and some of her friends. Only then had his pard shown him the clothes Hannah had told him to buy.

Taking a deep breath to try and calm himself, he stepped up onto the log and carefully made his way across.

"Come on, Jess. You can do it. Keep your eyes straight ahead." Cam called to him encouragingly.

Slowly, bur surely, the dark haired cowboy made his way across and finally got himself safely to the other side where Cam and Duncan waited for him.

"I've heard about how you climb on rocks and buildings. I can't figure out why you had so much trouble with crossing over the creek on that tree."

"I don't know either," Jess admitted as he looked back.

They walked a little farther before Cam took pity on Jess and his somewhat sore ankle. "Here, sit on this boulder while Duncan takes care of business. He's apt to be twenty minutes finding the 'perfect' place to go. He should settle down when he's done."

So saying she turned Duncan loose and joined Jess on the boulder to wait for the finicky pup so they could go home.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

A half hour later, the trio arrived back at the house having circled the town and stopped to talk to a few people including Sheriff Vin Markure. They ran the last one hundred yards with Duncan frisking at their heels. To calm him down they went into the small barn to check on the family's horses and the two Jersey cows. Cam's chickens were already in their coop.

The barn smelled of hay, horses, cows, corn and leather. Rocky and Galway, as well as Smoke and Yankee Doodle all greeted them eagerly. They were especially happy to see Jess for the dark haired Texan was notorious for bringing the horses treats every night and making a fuss over them. Gordon's strawberry roan mare, Rosie, and Dr. McAllister's speedy and long legged black gelding, Galen, all put their heads over the doors to greet the visitors while the cows, Clover and Honey, chewed their cud contentedly.

Jess didn't disappoint them. He made a fuss over every horse in the barn. Galen was partial to having his neck patted. Rosie liked light pats on her nose. Galway loved hugs while Rocky preferred firm pats on his neck and shoulder. Yankee Doodle and Smoke both loved to be scratched behind the ears. The Texan spent almost five minutes with each of them before he and Cam went back to the house to get ready for bed. Duncan followed them up the stairs and found a comfortable spot in the hall where he could watch for an opportunity to slip into the guest room and sleep with Mike. Or so they thought. Mike was already sound asleep and knew nothing of Duncan's presence. Devoid of the youngster's undying devotion he turned to the other softy - Jess.

"Duncan! Come out of there right now!" Cam commanded.

"It's all right Cam," Slim grinned at the sight of Duncan's hiding behind Jess. "He's not hurting anything - except Jess' reputation as a tough hombre."

The teen giggled at that comment while Jess glared at his partner.

"He's going to be hard to manage if I let Jess and Mike keep spoiling him. I"ll have a lot of work to do with him."

"Aw, come on Cam," Jess wheedled. "Just for tonight."

Cam rolled her eyes. If she hadn't known it before, she knew now that Jess a huge soft spot in his heart when young things were around be they children or animals.

"Slim - it's your room too. What do _you_ say?"

Slim looked back and forth between his young hostess and his partner who was playing with the puppy's ears.

"If Jess swears he'll get out of bed if Duncan needs to go out I guess it'll be all right - just this once. Tomorrow," he gave Jess a look that said he meant it, "Duncan goes back to sleeping in Cam's room or downstairs. Agreed?"

"Sure, Slim. Whatever you say." Jess was happy to have won the battle of wills.

"Is that okay with you Cam?" the tall blond asked.

"Okay. Just for tonight." She let out an exasperated sigh." Tomorrow he goes back to his normal routine of he sleeps in the barn."

Slim kissed her cheek and sent her off to her room. Closing the door behind him he whispered "Just remember your promise. If he needs to go out you're the one who gets out of a nice warm bed to take care of him."

"Not a problem," the Texan said.

However, three hours later, it was hard for Jess to roll out of his bed to do it. Duncan's scratching at the door and whining, roused Slim but not Jess. After several attempts to wake Jess up by calling his name, Slim resorted to throwing a boot at him. Not, however, before ensuring that Jess's

gun was nowhere within his reach.

A very sleepy Jess pulled his pants on and padded quietly to the door and made his way downstairs to the kitchen door where he let himself and Duncan out.

"Hurry up, would ya?" he hissed at the puppy. "It's cold out here." He hugged himself trying to stay warm. He hadn't bothered to put his shirt or jacket on and wasn't sure that the half grown Border Collie would stay out of trouble while he went back in to get them. Then he sat down on the steps because his feet were cold on the bare wood. He tried to rub some warmth back into them while the puppy took the next twenty minutes finding just the right place to take care of business. By that time Jess was half frozen. Once back in the guest room, Jess lost no time in shedding his pants and burrowing into the covers.

"You make out all right with Duncan?" Slim asked.

"Nearly froze to death waiting for him," Jess grumbled.

"What do you mean by almost freezing?"

"It was cold out there."

"Yes, I know. Didn't you put your jacket on before you went out?"

"No."

"A shirt at least?"

"No."

"Well what _did_ you have on?"

"My pants and underwear."

"Jess Harper! Sometimes I think Mike has more sense than you do!" Slim turned away from where he was standing at the dresser, shaving in front of the mirror. Mike was already up, dressed and downstairs.

"How was I supposed to know it would take him so long? I almost got frostbite on my feet." Jess finished dressing by pulling on two pairs of socks.

"I suppose you need two pairs of socks because your feet are still cold."

"Yeah, but I figured they'd be good for my ankle too."

Slim rolled his eyes. Sometimes Jess wasn't to be believed.

"Come on. I smell coffee. If I'm not mistaken I also smell hotcakes and sausage. We don't want to be late getting to the table."

Tying his bandanna as he went, Slim led the way downstairs. Jess was right behind him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Slim's nose had told him right. Hannah, Daisy and Cam were putting plates of steaming hot cakes, fried sausage and fried eggs on the table. Mike had already put out butter, jam, a pitcher of milk, maple syrup - shipped from the Midwest by friends of Hannah's - and the cream and sugar for the coffee.

The youngster was sitting at the table eagerly waiting to be served. He was cleaned up and dressed in brown pants and a blue figured shirt as well as his boots. His hair was neatly combed. The ladies wore skirts and shirtwaists of various colors. Daisy in a red skirt and white shirtwaist with a small cameo pin at her throat. Hannah in a gray skirt and a dark blue blouse and Cam in a dark green and yellow plaid dress.

"Smells good, ladies," Slim said as he and Jess seated themselves.

"We'll eat as soon as Gordon and David come to the table," Hannah told them with a smile.

No sooner had she spoken than the McAllister men entered the kitchen. David, looked tired but pleased, and Gordon smiling broadly.

"You look happy this mornin', Doc," Jess observed.

"I am. I delivered triplets early this morning."

"Uncle David! Triplets? Let me guess - Mrs. Callahan."

"Yes, Cam. Mrs. Callahan had triplets at five o'clock. Five, five ten and five-twenty this morning. All boys." David had a pleased and satisfied look on his face.

"How is Maureen?" Hannah asked as she placed a cup of coffee on the table next to him.

"Exhausted and exhilarated."

"What about _Mr._ Callahan?" Gordon asked.

"Oh, he'll be fine," David chuckled, "once he gets over the shock."

"You're not telling the whole story," Cam said. "What's wrong with Mr. Callahan?"

"Nothing really," David couldn't hold it in any longer. "He fainted dead away when the third one was born. He was in no way ready for triplets. They just figured Maureen had gained a lot of weight because Seth was feeding her so well."

Everyone but Mike got a good laugh out of that. The young boy just kept on eating and ignored the crazy people around him.

"My goodness, Mike," Daisy said. "You're going to burst if you keep eating like that."

"You keep telling me I need to eat if I want to grow up big and strong, Aunt Daisy. I gotta eat so I can grow up big like Mr. Gordy."

Slim almost choked on a mouthful of hot cake. Jess, who was seated next to him, helpfully reached over and pounded him on the back.

Cam giggled. David McAllister roared. Hannah simply looked amused. Gordon grinned. It took ten minutes for everyone to calm down.

Mike studiously concentrated on eating his breakfast but Daisy wasn't fooled. It was obvious to her that he'd found a new idol. Besides that the little boy was somewhat notorious for making insulting remarks just to give his guardians a hard time.

After a leisurely breakfast, David McAllister retreated to his and Hannah's bedroom to get some sleep. Though Maureen Callahan's labor had been relatively easy, it had been a long night and he was tired. He told his family and their friends that he would catch up with them in a few hours.

"Try to meet us for lunch, dear," Hannah said as she kissed him.

Daisy insisted on helping with the dishes thus freeing Cam to ensure that Duncan had a good romp before locking him in an empty stall in the barn again while they were at the fair.

"Cam?"

"Yes, Mike?"

"Are you sure we can't take Duncan to the fair with us? He looks so sad locked in that stall."

"I know he does, pal," the girl answered him. But it's like I told you yesterday - he hasn't learned to behave in crowds or around the cattle and such that are at the fair." Seeing the boy's disappointed look she said, "We need to give him a good run before we leave but we don't want to disturb Uncle David while he's trying to sleep. So we're going to take him over to the field behind the school where he can chase squirrels and rabbits and fetch sticks for an hour until we're ready to leave. How does that sound?"

"Okay."

Cam smiled at her young friend. "Then get your jacket while I tell the men and my aunt where we're going."

Five minutes later they were out the door. Slim and Gordon declined to join them but Jess went along. It was a good thing because it took all three of them to entertain Duncan and get control of him when it was time to go back. Jess' pant legs were streaked with dirt,. By day's end that would be nothing.

The puppy was once again locked in an empty stall in the barn with a bowl of water. Dr. McAllister, Cam knew, would check on him before he left for the fair. A little attention and a refill, if necessary of his water dish, and David would be ready to join his family and their friends.

At eight-thirty the group left for the fair. The women chatted about the displays, the men about the livestock and the two youngsters about the puppet show which they were planning to attend first thing. Along the way Hannah stopped at the General Store to place an order for such staples as flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Then she stopped at the butcher's to order some pork steaks, a pot roast and some stew beef. They would stop and pick it up on the way home or else the butcher would deliver it when he knew somebody was home.

Cam and Mike hurried ahead. She'd promised the boy that they would get to the puppet show early so they could get good seats this time. They left the adults far behind and were seated, in front row seats, when the show began.

It was eleven o'clock by the time the Three Billy Goats Gruff and the other shows were over. The two youngsters headed for the barbecue area to meet up with the rest of the group. Along the way they met up with some of the children from town who were talking about the upcoming pie eating contest.

"My brother, Jeff, is gonna enter," said Johnny Carlson. "He's gonna win too! I know it!"

"No, he won't. Pete Jackson's entered and so isn't Mart Riley. Either of them can beat your pa!" This came from Noah Hunt.

"I bet Jess could beat all of 'em!" Mike burst out. "Couldn't he Cam?"

"Anything's possible, Mike," Cam said. "But getting him to enter might be tricky." She closed her eyes and imagined the scene. A wicked grin came over her face. "I know just how to do it it too but first we better go sign him up."

Ten minutes later the the wheels were in motion. Jess' name was on the list of entrants for the first round which would take place in an hour and a half - plenty of time for Cam and Mike to set him up.

"Hi everybody. Sorry we kept you waiting. We had to check something out." Cam was all smiles and so was her young companion. If Slim and/or Gordon had been paying attention they would have been suspicious. Cam had that "look of angelic innocence" on her face and Mike's expression mirrored hers. "Did you have a good rest Uncle David?"

David hugged his niece, kissed her cheek and tousled Mike's hair.

"Yes, darling girl, I did. So well that I have something in mind for your cousin to do this afternoon. I've been thinking about it for several days in fact."

The group of Laramie and Evergreen residents got in line at the barbecue and loaded their plates with chicken, roasted potatoes, corn and biscuits. The food committee ensured that there would be plenty of butter, honey and preserves for the potatoes and biscuits. Gallons of coffee and milk were being consumed.

"I'm ready for dessert," Jess announced, not realizing that he was playing right into the hands of two young pranksters.

"I know a place where they're serving pie," Mike told him. "It looked real good too!"

"That sounds good," the Texan responded. "Let's go."

"It sounds good to me, too," Cam said. "Anybody else?" She crossed her fingers under the table hoping the answer would be "no".

It was. Jess' legendary appetite was working to the advantage of the two youngest members of the group. The three of them took their leave of the others. Jess was being led like a lamb to the slaughter. Poor innocent, unsuspecting Jess had no idea what lay ahead.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

"Now what's this I hear about you having plans for me Father?" Gordon asked suspiciously.

"You'll find out," David told his son, dark eyes twinkling. "Let's take a walk. If you excuse us ladies."

"We'll meet you at home around five," Hannah said to her husband. "The dance starts at seven. I'm sure the boys will want to clean up and change into their good clothes before they go."

The men stood as the two ladies prepared to leave. The women planned to visit the exhibit hall again, then do some shopping at the General Store, and also at the dressmaker's where Cam often filled in for one of the employees when they were sick. The teenager was very good with a needle and thread as Daisy had found out during Cam's visit the previous July. Cam had sat with her while she was mending and replaced buttons on Mike's shirts and repaired some seams and helped darn a dozen pairs of socks on one afternoon.

The dressmaker had some very nice materials on hand. Hannah chose a rose colored wool for a dress for Cam with black trimmings and buttons. For herself she chose a pale blue material with darker blue ribbons and buttons.

"I need a second best dress," she told Daisy. My gray and white is getting too shabby for anything but housework or working in the garden."

At Hannah's insistence Daisy chose a yellow gingham with tiny pink flowers. With some white buttons and lace and she had the makings for a new Sunday dress.

"It will look very nice on you, Daisy."

Their last stop was at the butcher's to pick up the pot roast and stew beef.

"My goodness, Hannah! You've got enough stew beef there to feed an army!" Daisy exclaimed when she saw the size of the package.

"Well some of it is for human consumption. I'm planning on beef stew for tomorrow night. The rest is for Duncan for the next two days," her hostess explained. "Cam pays half the bill out of her sewing and egg money. She saves a dozen or so eggs for us and sells the rest. She's determined to see that Duncan gets good food - not leftovers or scraps like other people's dogs get."

"She really loves that puppy doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does and she takes very good care of him without spoiling him."

"I'm afraid our visit may set that part of her teaching back," Daisy laughed. "Jess and Mike would spoil him rotten if she'd let them."

"No chance of that," Hannah said. Though I grant you that those two would certainly try. I'm not sure who the child is."

"To tell you the truth, the other woman said, "Sometimes I'm not sure who the child is either. Slim can be just as bad when he gets going."

The two women laughed and shared stories of their children as they continued walking back to the house. When they got inside they put the meat in the kitchen and took their dressmaking materials upstairs to the guest room Daisy was occupying and the room Hannah and Cam used as a sewing room.

With that done the ladies met in the kitchen to begin dinner preparations. Hannah went out to the big vegetable garden for carrots and onions - about the last ones they'd get that year. Most would be put into storage so they'd last through the winter months ahead.

When the pot roast and vegetables were ready the pot was set aside to be put into the oven in a couple of hours. The women retired to the Living Room to chat until that time.

"Let's take a walk, boys, and see what's happening," David said to his companions.

The three men rose from the table and started walking around. There were men wrestling, arm wrestling, and various other athletic activities. Eventually they came to an enclosure where a large crowd was gathered around. Above the racket could be heard a loud squealing noise.

Gordon looked at his father suspiciously.

"That sounds an awful lot like a pig Dr. McAllister."

"Looks like one, too," Slim added as he got a good look at the location of what was making the noise. "Take a gander at that, Gordy."

"Now boys, we discussed this the other night. You'd be doing the orphanage - that is their farm - a great favor by winning and donating that pig."

"Couldn't we just make a financial contribution:?" Gordon asked.

"Gordon." David McAllister's voice carried a note of warning and disappointment.

"Okay, okay. I was only kidding." Gordon's grin grew wider. "I'll enter if Mattie, here, does."

"Me?" Slim's voice rose about an octave. He didn't mind getting dirty but wrestling a greasy pig wasn't his idea of fun.

"Come on boys, where's your community spirit?" 

"Doc, you gotta be kidding!"

"Father - a greased pig?"

"I'm serious. It won't kill you and it's for a good cause."

Still they hesitated so he looked at them slyly and played his ace in the hole.

"Your mother, and Daisy, will be disappointed if you don't.

That clinched it. The thought of the sorrowful looks on the faces of the dearest ladies in their life caused them to give in. They soon found themselves in the arena, surrounded by a large crowd of spectators who whistled, cheered and cat called.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

"So where's this pie you were tellin' me about?" Jess asked as he followed Cam and Mike.

"It seems to me that it's at that table over there," Cam replied pointing at the table set up for the pie eating contest. Isn't that right Mike?" She winked at her co-conspirator.

"Yeah, that's what they told us. They said there would be free pie right after lunch."

A group of about a dozen men, of all ages, shapes and sizes, were standing around a table large enough for twenty. Cam's eyes lit up when she saw Hank Russell - the man in charge of the pie eating contest.

"Mr. Russell! My friend is here."

"Just in time, Cam," the short, man with brown hair, green eyes that sparkled and a mustache said. "Find a place at the table. Mr. Harper. The pie eating contest starts as soon as soon as everyone is lined up and has a pie in front of them."

Jess stood there with his mouth wide open in shock, then turned to the two youngsters.

"You set me up. You signed me up for a pie eating contest!" The Texan's face was a study in shock, dismay and maybe a hint of stubbornness. "I won't do it!"

Cam had coached Mike on what to do if Jess balked when they got him there. The boy turned a pleading face to his hero.

"Please Jess? I've been tellin' all the kids at the fair that you'd win. Please?"

Cam turned on Jess. 'You wouldn't want those other kids to think he's a liar would you?"

Jess was torn between not wanting to disappoint Mike and not wanting to look like a fool Another look at Mike's sweet innocent "don't let me down" expression cinched it.

"Okay. I'll enter the contest, but you two are gonna pay for this," he growled.

"It didn't scare either one of them. The teen took one arm and the boy the other and they propelled him toward an empty spot at the table.

Jess' eyes widened when he saw pies but no plates or utensils to eat them with.

"Hey, wait a minute," he said. "Where are the forks to eat them with?" Looking at his young friends he was confused. Not for long though.

"No forks, Jess," Cam told him while she and Mike backed up out of his reach just in case he forgot his credo about not hurting women, girls or children. "This is strictly a no hands situation."

He stared at her in disbelief.

"It's okay, Jess. Aunt Daisy's not here to yell at you."

"Thanks a heap."

Eight inch blackberry pies were placed in front of each contestant. With one more sour look at Cam and Mike, Jess stepped up to the table. The contestant on his left nodded pleasantly. The contestant on his right scowled. Jess ignored him.

"Okay gentlemen. Hands behind your back," Hank Russell was ready to start the contest. "Ready, set GO!"

Twenty men, including Slim Sherman's best friend and partner, dove - almost literally - into their pies. Juice and crust clung to faces. Juice dribbled down their chins and dropped onto their shirts and the table. Shouts of encouragement rang in the air as onlookers cheered for their favorites.

"Come on, Mart. Faster!"

"Jeff! Faster, faster!"

"Come on Pa! You can beat these fellas!"

Mart Riley's brother, Jim was taking bets on the outcome. When Ken Russell's assistant found out, Jim was promptly escorted off the fairgrounds and Mart was immediately disqualified for having put him up to it.

The cheers and catcalls went on for ten minutes as each contestant took a bite and swallowed, trying to be the first one to finish.

"Come on Jess!" Mike yelled.

"Do it for Mike, Jess! Do it for me and Slim and Mrs. Cooper and the McAllisters. We know you can win!" Cam called.

Back at the greased pig contest, Slim and Gordon, as well as the other contestants, were having a very difficult time. Whoever had greased the pig had done an exceptionally good job. None of them had been able to hold onto it long enough to pin it down for ten seconds let alone the required thirty seconds for the win.

"Oof!" Slim reacted to a pig's foot in his stomach.

"Ow!" Gordon exclaimed when one made contact with his knee.

A large cloud of dust rose over the pen as ten men and a pig raced from one end of it to the other.

Anybody who had gotten hold of the pig was finding themselves covered in grease and dirt and no closer to pinning it down than when they had started and that included Messrs. Sherman and McAllister.

Cheers arose every time one of them got their hands on the prize and groans were heard when it got away.

Slim had just gotten a fair grip on the pig's hind legs when he felt a blow to his ribs on the left side.

"Ow!" the rancher let go in order to put a hand on his sore side. He didn't feel anything broken but figured he'd probably have a nasty bruise later on.

Looking around he saw that one of his fellow contestants was grinning nastily at him. Slim's eyes narrowed as he looked at him. A moment later he was taken by surprise when the man went sailing out of the enclosure landing with a thud in the dirt a good three feet beyond. Before the man could get to his feet Sheriff Markure had him by the arm and was escorting him to the edge of the fairgrounds.

Turning his attention to the contest again Slim made one last attempt to get his hands on the prize pig. This time he managed to get his arms around it and wrestle it to the ground and keep it there.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

A roar went up from the crowd as Jess took one last bite of his pie finishing, and swallowing, about two seconds before the second place winner.

"The winner is Jess Harper of Laramie!" Hank Russell made the formal announcement.

"Yippee!" Cam and Mike yelled.

"You wear your pie very well, Mr. Harper," Cam laughed when he turned around and she got a good look at his face.

From about his nose down, Jess' face was covered with blackberry juice and bits of berry and crust.

The two youngsters giggled at the sight. Jess was not laughing. He may not have been able to see his face but the front of his light blue shirt had splotches of blueberry juice as well as bits of berry on it.

You two think this is funny don't you?" Jess handed the towel he had been give to wipe his face with back to the woman who had given it to him. "Thanks," he said remembering his manners.

"Now as for you two..." He didn't get to finish his apparent threat.

The two youngsters took one look at his face and started running with the Texan in hot pursuit

"Excuse us," Cam said as she and Mike dodged around a man and his wife.

"Sorry," Mike said as he bumped into another fairgoer.

The two of them joined hands so that Mike could keep up. Behind them they could hear the disgruntled cowboy yelling. Jess didn't run for very long though, as his injured ankle started to bother him. He was forced to slow down which allowed the two pranksters to get far away from him in a short space of time.

"The winner, of the greased pig contest- Slim Sherman of Laramie!"

"Congratulations, Mattie," Gordon clapped his friend on the back causing Slim to lose his grip. The pig slipped from his arms and started running. Startled spectators scattered with shouts and screams. Boys, ten and older, attempted to catch it. Adult men tried and failed.

It was this maelstrom of confusion that Cam and Mike encountered in their flight from the site of the pie eating contest to escape Jess' apparent threats of retribution. They joined the fray briefly before someone remembered that a farmer friend had said that pigs were fond of corn and apples. Somebody got some corn and an apple and laid a trail from the arena to its cage and soon thereafter the pig was contained and order restored. The pig was ready for transport to the orphanage any time.

Only after the pig was caught and penned did Cam notice that her uncle, cousin and Slim were among the crowd. Her uncle was facing her with a big smile and a wink. Gordon and Slim had their backs to her yet.

Cam and Mike made their way through the crowd to David's side. When she finally got a look at the two younger men of the family for Slim was as much a McAllister as he was a Sherman as far and Doctor and Mrs. McAllister were concerned - she saw that their clothes were covered with dust, dirt and grease.

The girl looked them up and down. Anyone who knew her would have said they could see the wheels turning as she put two and two together and came up with the answer as to _why_ their clothes were in that condition.

"Greased pig. Dirty clothes. Greasy clothes." She put her left arm around Mike's shoulders. "You know what I think Mike?"

"No," the boy answered as he stared at the two men with big eyes.

"I think these two were in the greased pig contest."

"Huh?" Mike, and his parents, had been on the move for so long that they had never settled in a community long enough to attend any fairs. The nine-year-old had never heard of a greased pig contest, let alone seen one.

"It's like this Mike." Cam quickly explained the rules to the boy.

Mike's eyes lit up as he looked Slim and Gordy up and down.

"You mean..." 

"Yup. My darling cousin and your brother have been rolling around in the dirt wrestling a greased pig," she laughed. "So who won?" the girl asked the men.

"I did," Slim told her sheepishly.

"Do I see the hand of David McAllister in this turn of events?" she asked her uncle all the while figuring she knew the answer to her question.

"You certainly do," Gordon said indignantly. "He blackmailed us."

"More like shame us into it," Slim said, "by telling us how Mrs. McAllister, and Daisy, would be disappointed if we didn't enter it."

"Don't feel bad, Slim. Wait'll you see Jess." the youngsters told him.

"I'd rather he never found out about this."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about him laughing at you and you just having to take it." Cam's eyes sparkled. "I think, and I'm sure Mike will agree with me, that you'll be laughing at him too. Right Mike?" 

"Yeah. You'll be laughing at him too," the boy agreed.

"She's got that look in her eyes, Slim," Gordon said to his friend.

"The angelic, totally innocent look? 

"That's the one."

Turning to the youngsters, Slim asked, "What did you two do to Jess?"

"We entered him in a contest - which he won," Cam answered evasively.

"I repeat. What did you do to Jess?

"Why don't you ask him? If I'm not mistaken here he comes now," Cam answered with a laugh.

Shirt, vest and even pants to a certain extent, stained with blackberry juice, Jess made his way toward them.

Slim's eyebrows went up to his hairline at the sight of his partner. Jess' attention, however, was focused on his two young friends who had set him up to enter the pie eating contest. Said friends quickly ducked behind Dr. McAllister who was grinning widely.

"What was the big idea?" the Texan demanded to know.

"Whatever do you mean, Jess?" Cam asked innocently but fooling no one.

"You two set me up. You knew I'd never enter that contest if you didn't. Just look at my clothes! Daisy'll never get the blackberry stains out of my shirt and pants!"

Slim couldn't hold it in any longer. He started laughing at the sight of Jess' clothes and the woebegone look on his face. His laughter drew Jess' attention. Jess' extremely mobile eyebrows arched as he took in his partner's appearance.

"What'd you do - fall in that barrel of axle grease you always tell me I have a foot in?"

"What did _you_ do - fall in a bakery shelf full of pies?" Slim countered.

"No - I got tricked into entering a pie eating contest by two little schemers!"

"We - Gordy and I - got pressured into entering the greased pig contest."

"Looks like there's more grease on you than the pig," Jess grinned momentarily forgetting his own sorry state.

"And you look like most of your pie wound up on your clothes!"

The two men stood staring at each other for a long minute before they both started laughing. The others joined in. When they had calmed down Dr. McAllister got the story out of Cam and Mike about how they had entered Jess in the pie eating contest.

"You know Father, sometimes I think Cam is _your_ blood relative instead of Mother's. She's definitely got your sense of humor."

Cam grinned. She adored her uncle and was happy to be compared to him.

While they were talking Hank Russell came up to them with a blue rosette, a trophy and an envelope of money.

"Mr. Harper, you left in such a hurry we didn't have a chance to give you your ribbon or trophy."

"Yeah, well I was trying to catch up to the two little schemers who set me up for that contest," the Texan replied.

"Here you go." Russell pinned the ribbon to Jess' shirt and gave him the trophy.

"This ain't made of silver," Jess said as he took it.

"No, it's not. Rusell confirmed. "It's marzipan."

"Marzipan."

Slim roared. "That's just what Jess needs - an edible trophy."

Russell went on to explain that marzipan was a confection made primarily of sugar or honey and ground almonds. The local bakery had not only donated the pies used in the contest, the owner had thought that a marzipan trophy would draw even more attention to his budding business. Consequently the bakery's top cake decorator had been put to work on a candy trophy.

The trophy was six inches tall and had First Prize carved into the front surface. It was shaped like any other trophy and was a real work of art.

Hank Russell turned to David McAllister.

"Doc, your wife is the treasurer of the fair committee. Please give her this envelope and have her deposit it Monday morning."

David took the envelope and peeked inside.

"That's a considerable amount of money, Hank," he said. "Where did you get it?"

Russell frowned. "Took it off Jim Riley before we escorted him off the grounds. He was taking bets on the outcome of the pie eating contest."

"What?" David was astounded.

"Nothing the Riley brothers do surprises me any more," Gordon said.

'Yes, well, the ones who were foolish enough to make wagers are too embarrassed to say so. We confiscated the money. There's one hundred dollars there, and it's to go into the fund we started for the orphanage."

David took the envelope promising to hand it over to Hannah when he got home.

Shaking hands with Jess, Hank said, "Congratulations Mr. Harper, for winning the pie eating contest. It was quite a sight." With that he walked away chuckling.

""No wonder you're a wreck," Slim said. "You wear it well."

'I think Mike and I will head home and see if we can help aunt Hannah and Mrs. Cooper with dinner," the teenager said inching away from the group. "We'll get hot water on for your baths too. I'm sure you three," she nodded at her cousin and friends, "will want to clean up before dressing for the dance."

Quickly the two youngsters made their escape.

David took one look at his son and their friends and roared with laughter.

"She's right. All three of you look like we should dunk you in the creek before we even allow you at the dinner table. Especially Slim - the winner of the greased pig contest."

"Very funny," Gordon groused.

"Come on boys. I think we've had enough fair for one day. Let's go home." He put his arm around Jess' shoulders. "While we walk we'll educate Jess on the warning signs of Cam's plotting something." 

"Like getting me into a pie eating contest?"

"Well, yes. You walked right into that one, dear boy, with your eyes wide open. Free pies indeed." David's dark eyes twinkled while his mustache twitched as he tried not to laugh.

"Don't feel bad - remember I slickered Gordon and Slim into entering the greased pig contest."

"I sure hope we're not having pie for dessert," the Texan moaned. "I don't think I want to see another pie for at least a week.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

At the dinner table the group ate and chatted about the day's affairs. The two older women kept eying Jess who squirmed every time he noticed.

"I knew his appetite would get him into trouble someday," Daisy said to Hannah.

"His appetite or his sweet tooth?" Hannah asked with a straight face.

"Both," Daisy replied which started everyone but the subject of their conversation laughing.

When dinner was over the three youngest men went upstairs to change for the dance.

'Leave your dirty clothes in the basket by the stove boys," Hannah told them. Cam will be doing laundry Monday morning if the weather is good."

"With a little help from Mike," Daisy added.

"Aw Aunt Daisy!"

"It's the least you can do since you helped trick Jess into that pie eating contest," Daisy told the boy with a stern expression which was belied by the twinkle in her eyes.

"It's worth it," Cam declared, 'Just to remember him with pie all over his face and shirt."

"This started the women, and David, laughing again.

An hour and a half later, the pig wrestlers, and the pie eater, had had baths, washed their hair, shaved and donned clean clothes.

Cam whistled when she saw them.

Gordon was dressed in black trousers, white shirt with a green and black brocade vest and a black tie and coat. Sim wore black trousers, a gold brocade vest, black string tie and a royal blue coat.

"Jess looks like that gambler that Sheriff Markure ran out of town a few months ago."

Jess, with his unruly curls momentarily combined into some semblance of order, wore a white shirt with black pants , coat and tie with a gold brocade vest.

"Good thing the sheriff remembers him from your first visit," she joked.

"And just how do you know what that gambler looked like?" Hannah asked her niece.\

"Gordy told me who he was. I was coming home from the dress shop and Gordy had been in the saloon talking to a witness in one of his cases. Besides," the girl said, "nobody else in town dresses like that - or would."

"Gordon Carney McAllister!" Hannah exploded. "What have I told you about exposing her to such things?"

'"I didn't do it deliberately," her son defended himself while Slim and Jess tried to stifle their grins and chuckles.

"Oh, Auntie. I _am_ fifteen now. You can't shelter me from that kind of thing forever. Besides, if I decide to become a lawyer I'll _have_ to know about these things."

Hannah scowled briefly then shook her head. "Daisy - what do I do with them? Cam gets more and more like Gordon every day."

"At least she knew who - what he was," the other woman said. "My first day on the ranch an outlaw posing as a doctor arrived on the stage I came in on. Mike tried to sell him a - shall we say - untrustworthy horse until Slim took over, When he tried to escape, after I discovered the Wanted poster in his bag, Mike brought him that same horse to use in his escape."

'Yeah. Good old Tumbleweed ditched him in less than a minute," Jess laughed.

"Mike started picking up the money Willet stole and asked us if we weren't going to help him.? Slim smiled at that memory. "Mort Cory - our sheriff - never took a prisoner into custody so easy before or since."

"And you thought my seeing a gambler was bad," Cam grinned and looked at Mike who, had decided to stay home with her and Duncan. Nobody thought there would be many youngsters his age at the dance and Cam still hated large social gatherings so a night of puppy sitting, popcorn, cocoa and games was a good solution as to what to do with the boy.

"She's incorrigible Mother," Gordon laughed. "She'll never change."

"Not as long as you encourage her," his mother told him.

"Hannah, we're going to be late for the gathering at the Greenaways."

"Yes, dear, we're coming."

David was waiting at the front door holding his wife's coat and Daisy's. The three of them had been invited to Richard and Susan Greenaways for a night of reading, and discussing, Jules Verne's novel _Around the World in Eighty Days_. Daisy was going with them and looked forward to it. She seldom had time at home to read for pleasure. Keeping her brood fed, clean, clothes in good repair and nursing them through the occasional illness or injury, was a full time job that left her too tired to read much of anything.

"It's slow going because not everybody in the group reads well out loud and has to be told how to pronounce some of the words - especially as Fogg travels through Europe."

"Now Cam, there's milk and cocoa if you want to make hot chocolate and there are some sugar cookies for you and Mike for a bedtime snack. " Hannah kissed both youngsters as she headed out the door. "Don't stay up too late. We have church services in the morning you know." 

"We won't," Cam promised.

"Hannah, come along. I'm sure Cam and Mike will be just fine."

Doctor McAllister, his wife and Daisy departed for their gathering.

"Mike, you be sure and do what Cam tells you and don't give her a hard time about going to bed understand?" Slim laid down the law to his ward.

:Oh go on with you!" the girl told her cousin and friends. "Mike and I will get along just fine. First thing we're going to do is play with Duncan in the back yard for a little while. Then we'll check on the horses, the cows and my chickens. After that we'll play a few games, have our snack and go to bed.

"Come on, Mattie," Gordon said. "They'll be fine, but if we don't get to that dance real soon all the prettiest - and nicest - girls will already be spoken for."

"What he means," Cam jibed, "Is that Victoria Compton will have already found a partner for the first dance."

"Quiet brat," Gordon said as he tugged on the braid she now wore her hair in since it was late in the day.

"Make sure Slim and Jess meet Karen Dunnigan and Anita Kelly. She grinned at the three young men as they left.

"Karen and Anita?" Slim looked puzzled. "They're just kids."

"Mattie - Slim - you are so far behind the times. I know you haven't been to Evergreen much in the last few years but Karen and Anita are not kids any more. They're twenty-five and twenty-seven now."

Slim hesitated for a moment to think about this. Then his face brightened. "What are we waiting for? If they're as pretty now as they were then I have to see it for myself!"


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

The three young men picked up their pace but it was soon evident that Jess' bad ankle was bothering him somewhat as he began to lag behind the other two. By the time they got to within a quarter of a mile of the barn where the dance was being held the Texan was noticeably limping.

"Say, you better find a place to sit down for a while pard," Slim said in concern. "You must have overdone it what with helping entertain Duncan and walking around the fair all day."

"There'll be plenty of chairs or benches where he can sit," Gordon told Slim. He looked at Jess, mildly concerned. "Are you sure you're up for this? You could go back to the house and soak that ankle and go to bed early."

"Now wait a minute! I've been looking forward to this dance all week! I ain't gonna let a sore ankle keep me away!" Jess was indignant at the very thought.

The two older men looked at him in concern. Jess could do some real damage to that ankle if he wasn't careful.

Finally Slim said, "Well, okay, but as soon as we get there you find a place to sit for a while."

They continued on their way with a few complaints from the Texas boy about people with "dad gummed long legs" as he struggled to keep up with the two much taller men.

Finally they arrived at the big barn that had been emptied for use by the dance committee. Lanterns hung on the walls casting plenty of light to see by. A small platform had been built for the band to sit on. The band consisted of a piano, two violins, one guitar, a banjo, and a couple of brass instruments. They were tuning up as the trio arrived.

A large number of chairs were lined up against the walls that ran the length of the barn. Jess, limping noticeably by now, headed for one of them so he could sit and rest his ankle for a while before trying to dance.

Little did any of them know that Jim and Mart Riley, their brother Colin and some of their friends were watching them, waiting for an opportunity to start trouble. They hated Gordon McAllister for refusing to represent them in court and they hated Slim because he was Gordon's friend. Plus he'd won the greased pig contest despite Colin's efforts to force him out. Jess was, in their opinion, the perfect target for their bullying and harassment for several reasons. He'd won the pie eating contest that Mart was supposed to win only Jess had been faster having been motivated by two youngsters. He was vulnerable. They had seen him limping around for two days and rightly guessed that he wasn't in any shape for a fight. They were all over six feet tall and weighed close to two hundred pounds or more. In other words they were bigger and heavier than the wiry Texan and thought he'd be easy to handle.

Once Jess was settled Slim and Gordon started mingling, looking for dance partners. It didn't take long for Gordon to find Victoria Compton. The young lady wore her chestnut brown hair in a neat chignon with tendrils hanging down near her ears. Her dress was a deep navy blue with sky blue stripes running through it.

She smiled as she spotted Gordon and held her hands out to him.

"Gordon McAllister! I thought you'd forgotten all about me!"

"Not a chance, Vicky," Gordon smiled. He turned to the tall blond by his side. "Victoria Compton, I'd like you to meet Matthew Sherman - better known as Slim. Slim, this is Victoria Compton. She, and her family, moved to Evergreen shortly after your last visit.

"Miss Compton. A pleasure."

"Mr. Sherman. Are you from around here?"

"No ma'am. My family and I are visiting Gordon and his family. Our mothers were friends for years until Ma died a few years ago."

As they spoke a pretty strawberry blonde with emerald green eyes approached.

"Gordon! How lovely to see you."

"Karen Dunnigan." Gordon smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Who's your friend?"

"You remember Slim don't you?"

"Slim Sherman? Of course." She gave the rancher a brilliant smile. "You've changed - and for the better."

"So have you," Slim told her. "You were a scrawny little girl the last time I saw you."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Definitely good," he assured her.

"What's this about a family?" Karen asked. "I distinctly heard you mention a family."

"A very unconventional family," Gordon joked.

Giving his friend a sour look, Slim quickly explained about the drifter who was now a brother to him, the orphaned boy they now had legal custody of and the widow whose husband had been sold a nonexistent store in the imaginary town of "Sherman", Wyoming, who was now a surrogate mother to them all.

As he finished he pointed Jess out and explained that Mike had stayed home, so to speak, with Cam and Duncan and that Daisy had gone to the get together at the Greenaways with Dr. and Mrs. McAllister.

At that point the band had stopped warming up and was playing a lively tune to get the dancing started. Slim and Gordon claimed the first dance with Karen and Victoria and were soon enjoying themselves immensely.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

"Now?" Mart Riley asked his oldest brother.

Colin shook his head.

"Not yet. We want to be sure that Sherman and McAllister are too far away to do anything. Distracted even."

"Besides, Jeannie's not here yet," Jim added. "Our little sister is late as usual. That girl doesn't take orders very well. You told her to be here when this shindig got under way."

"She'll be here or I'll tan her hide good when we get home," Colin said. "She's an important part of our plan."

Jess leaned over and tried to massage his aching ankle. He hated to admit that Slim was right, but he knew he'd overdone it. Being the kind of person who had difficulty sitting still he'd gone with Cam and Mike to give Duncan a run before locking him in the barn prior to leaving for the fair. All the while knowing it was already bothering him. Then after winning the pie eating contest he'd chased the two imps who had set him up. Added to that he hadn't soaked it, had walked around at the fair all day, walked back to the house and now to the dance. It sure didn't look like he was going to be doing much dancing tonight. He'd be lucky to get back to the McAllisters without it giving way on him.

"You doin' okay pard?"

Jess looked up to see Slim, with Karen Dunnigan on his arm, looking him over.

" _Hope I don't look as bad as I feel_ ," the Texan thought as he grinned at his partner.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Sure you are," Slim's frown was skeptical. Karen looked concerned.

"Gonna introduce me to this lady or what?" Jess was opting for distraction now.

The rancher gave him a look that said he wasn't fooled but introduced the two.

"Karen Dunnigan, this is my friend Jess Harper that I told you about."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Jess."

"Same here," Jess smiled.

"Mattie! There you are!" Gordon and Victoria joined them. "Jess. How's the ankle?"

"Fine."

Gordon gave him a skeptical look that mirrored the one on Slim's face. "Sure it is."

Slim and Gordon exchanged looks while rolling their eyes.

"Since Gordon seems to have forgotten his manners, I'll introduce myself," Victoria said holding out her hand. "I'm Victoria Compton."

"Ma'am." Jess used all of his innate Southern charm as he smiled and kissed the back of her hand causing her to blush.

"How about some punch girls?" Slim suggested.

"Sounds wonderful," Karen said.

"Vicky?"

'Yes, please," she responded as she and Karen took seats on either side of Jess.

The men went to the end of the refreshment table to get cups of punch for everyone, including Jess.

They sat and talked for a few minutes before returning their empty cups. The two couples then swapped partners and made their way to the dance floor once again where the band was now playing a lively polka.

Jess looked on enviously He wouldn't admit it to Slim but he was sorry he hadn't stayed home with the two youngsters. It wasn't much fun sitting on the sidelines watching his two friends dance the night away with two lovely ladies all night.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One**

It was at this point that Jeannie Riley finally arrived at the dance and met up with her brothers.

"It's about time you got here." Colin was pretty aggravated with his sister. They needed her to set their plan in motion.

"See that fella sitting there?" Jim pointed Jess out to Jeannie. "That's Sherman's friend Harper. Sherman's a friend of McAllister and that, little sister, is why Harper is going to get a beating once you do your part." He smiled grimly. "There's more than one way to skin a cat - or, in this case, get to McAllister. Not to mention the fact that they beat us out of the pie eating and greased pig contest wins that were supposed to be ours"

"I'll do my part. I want a little revenge myself. He's the one that was with Cameron Ramsay the other day. She didn't introduce us and he practically ignored me."

"Go to it girl," Colin said.

Jeannie, cream colored skirt and crinoline petticoats swishing, made her way over to where Jess was just apologizing to another young woman for not being able to dance with her. Not so subtly she forced her way in between them and smiled at Jess - albeit insincerely,

"I don't believe we've met," she said in a saccharine sweet voice. 'I'm Jeannie Riley. And you are...?"

"Jess Harper, ma'am," the Texan told her.

"Aren't you going to ask me to dance Mr. Harper?"

"No, ma'am. I ain't asking anybody - you see I ..."

"Well I like that !" Jeannie exclaimed in a voice loud enough for her brothers to hear. I've never been so insulted in my life!"

That was her brothers' cue. They came over to see what had "upset" their little sister.

"What seems to be the problem Jeannie?" Colin asked.

"This cowboy refuses to dance with me! That's what's the matter!"

"Oh, is that right mister? You refused to dance with my sister?"

"I tried to explain..." Jess' words were cut off when the tall redhead reached out and grabbed him by the lapels of his coat.

"You can explain it to us - me and my brothers - outside."

"Now wait just a minute!" Jess said as he tried to free himself.

The three Rileys surrounded him and forced him out the door. Jeannie turned her back on them and went in search of another dance partner. No one was willing so she took a seat by the refreshment table to pout.

"I hope they pound him good," she mumbled to herself.

"What do you want from me?" Jess asked his assailants.

"It's not just you we want," Mart told him. "We want your friend Sherman and we want McAllister and we're gonna get to _them_ through you. We beat up on you, Sherman comes running to help and McAllister comes after _him_. Then we get McAllister when we finish with you two. It works out real nice."

'You and Sherman kept us from winning the greased pig and pie eating contests. That ain't right. And McAllister refuses to represent us in court. That ain't right either. We're getting even starting with you."

Whatever Jess was going to say, in reply, was cut off by the left hook that came flying at him connecting solidly with his right cheekbone and staggering him.

Bad ankle or not, the Texan wasn't going to just stand there and take a beating. He started throwing his trademark roundhouse punches as fast as he could.

Colin Riley had one land on his left cheek. He retaliated with a right cross that Jess was unable to avoid. Jim Riley started throwing punches as well. Some made contact while others didn't.

"I don't see Jess over there by the refreshment table, Slim said to Karen a few minutes later.

"I wonder where he went to?"

"Maybe he went back to the McAllisters," Karen suggested. 'It can't be very much fun just sitting on the sidelines while everybody else dances."

"No, he wouldn't have gone back without saying something to me or Gordy." Slim was only mildly concerned at the moment but he knew he was right that Jess would have said something if he'd decided to go back to the house.

Just then Gordon and Victoria passed by. Seeing the mildly concerned look on Slim's face the tall redhead paused to speak to him.

"What's the matter Slim?"

"Just wondering where Jess is."

"Isn't he over by the refreshment table where we left him?"

"No, and I know he wouldn't just leave without saying something."

"I think you worry too much," Karen said. "He probably just went out to get some air."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew Jess," Slim told her. "He's got this 'talent' for getting into trouble without meaning to."

The hair on the back of the rancher's neck was standing up as he thought about the possibilities. Jess was such a trouble magnet that, not seeing him where they'd left him, and knowing that his ankle was bothering him, Slim was positive Jess had to be in some kind of trouble.

As they spoke someone standing in the doorway yelled "Fight". Slim was halfway across the floor before the echo faded. As he headed outside he noticed a young woman sitting in Jess' spot. Not having seen Jeannie Riley in years he didn't recognize her. Gordon McAllister was hot on his heels. The girls, however, recognized Jeannie. Before the men returned Miss Jeannie Riley would be very sorry that she had helped set Jess up for the beating he was taking. The young ladies of Evergreen would see to that.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

Jess struggled valiantly. He managed to knock Mart Riley down only to have Colin pin his arms behind his back so that Jim could pound him with vicious jabs to the body. Slim and Gordon joined the fight just as Colin, the bigger of the two landed a blow that caused Jess to gasp and fall to his knees struggling to breathe.

Not a word was spoken by Sherman, or McAllister, as they rushed to defend their friend. Colin Riley found himself, once again, flying through the air as he had at the greased pig contest, as Gordon took hold of an arm and a leg and gave a mighty heave.

Carl traded blows with Slim, drawing blood from the rancher's bottom lip while Jim found himself facing Gordon after Colin was temporarily removed from the battle.

As Colin got to his feet he saw a half dozen of his, and his brothers', friends.

"Hey fellas, give us a hand!"

The roughnecks came at his summons and started trading blows with the tall rancher and his equally tall lawyer friend. Not for long though. Help was coming out the door.

"Hey McAllister," one of "Gordon's friends yelled. "Is this a private fight or can anyone join in?"

"By all means join in if you want to," Gordon called back as he ducked a left hook aimed at his head.

The barnyard was soon filled with two groups of men fighting and one injured Texan now lying on the ground. The women stayed back near the door or inside.

"I truly enjoyed that reading of Mr. Verne's story," Daisy said as she, Hannah and David walked toward the barn where the dance was being held. The gathering, at the Grenaways' had ended early enough that they hoped to enjoy the last hour or so of the dance.

"The man certainly had a vivid imagination," David agreed.

"Think of all the work he put into planning Fogg's route! London, part of France, Egypt, India, Hong Kong, across the ocean to the states and then from New York back to Liverpool to London! It's amazing! All of it by connection railways and steamships." Hannah put her two cents worth in. "That's a lot of time on trains and ships. And he didn't realize right off that he'd won his bet because he'd crossed the International Date Line."

"I think Mike, in a couple of years might enjoy that book. I'm sure Slim would," Daisy commented. "It might even hold Jess' attention. He doesn't really like to read but this might be different."

"Slim always did like to read," David said. "But as I recall it wasn't always the books he was supposed to be reading. He always managed to have one of Cooper's books, or something else that had nothing to do with his studies, hidden behind his text book."

"My Slim?" Daisy giggled. "He's so responsible it's hard to believe he would have done something like that."

"Mary and Matt lectured him about that every time he got caught," Hannah laughed, "and David, here, told him he was wasting the teacher's time, and his own brainpower, if he didn't apply himself."

"Well he certainly learned that lesson," the other woman said. "He makes sure Mike does his schoolwork right and I'm told he was the same with Andy."

They were about a quarter of a mile from the location of the dance when they saw a large crowd gathered outside and heard a lot of shouting. Telling the women to stay put, David McAllister ran to find out what was happening.

He arrived at the scene of the fight just in time to see Slim catch his foot on a tree root and go sprawling on the ground. Though his young friend got up right away, David could see that he was limping slightly. The man he was chasing, one of the Riley brothers pals, ran straight into the arms of Deputy Sheriff Dan Colbert.

"Break it up!" Sheriff Vin Markure bellowed. "Break it up!"

There was no need for him to say it again. The Rileys and company were all siting, or lying, on the ground. Faces dirty, clothes disheveled or torn and hair messed up. All the Riley brothers were sporting black eyes. Mart was holding his right arm in his left hand. It was either broken or badly sprained. Jim had a fat lip and Colin a cut on his right cheekbone.

"What's going on here?" Markure demanded to know. "What started this?"

"The Rileys started it Vin," Gordon McAllister told the lawman. They have it in for me so they decided to get at me through Slim Sherman. To get to Slim they went after Jess Harper. I don't know how they set it up but they got him out here and started working him over."

As he finished speaking his father appeared, a very concerned look on his face as he took in his son's appearance. The right sleeve of his coat was torn at the shoulder as well as dirty. He had a cut on his right cheekbone but his eyes were bright.

"Father! I'm glad you're here! Jess has been hurt!"

"How badly?"

"You'll have to tell us," Gordon said as his father looked around for their guest.

Together the McAllister men went to where their friends were. Jess, face pale and eyes closed lay on the ground. His breathing was somewhat labored and he was holding his right side.

"Slim? How is he?" the red-headed McAllister asked his pal.

"Not so good, I don't think," was the worried response.

"Let me see," David McAllister said as he knelt by their stricken friend.

He laid a gentle hand on Jess' forehead as he started a quick examination. He sent Gordon to soak a handkerchief in cold water to clean the Texan's face with. This done, he uncovered a few scrapes and cuts he would clean properly later. It was when he started to examine Jess' chest that he discovered the young man's worst injuries.

"Uh!" Jess moaned and tried to escape the probing fingers.

"I was afraid of that," the doctor said as he watched Slim lay a steadying hand on his partner's shoulder.

"Doc?" The rancher was concerned.

"I want to do a thorough examination in my office, but I'm pretty sure he's got some broken ribs - pretty well cracked and bruised anyway."

"You'll want to check that ankle, too," Gordon told his father. "He was limping pretty badly when we got here."

"Too stubborn to admit he over did it?"

That got a choked laugh out of Slim. Dr. McAllister had figured Jess out in a very short space of time.

"Gordon, Slim, I want to get Jess home and into my office so I can check him out properly. I don't, however, want him to try and walk that distance. Run back to the house and get one of the stretchers I keep for emergencies."

"No need for that, Doc," Gordon's friend Mark Lowell said. "The fair committee bought a couple of extras. We stashed them in the barn. I'll go get one."

So saying the young man ran inside, grabbed the stretcher and was back outside, with several volunteers willing to carry Jess to the doctor's office.

"Gordon, your mother and Mrs. Cooper are waiting near the bakery for me to tell them what' happened. Please go to them and tell them about Jess." He looked down at the injured younger man with a frown. "Break it to them gently and tell them I want them to go back to the house and get my examination room set up."

"Bandages, hot water and such right?"

"The ladies will know what to do."


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

As Gordon left Mark Lowell laid out the stretcher next to the injured man.

"We're ready when you are, Doc. We even scavenged a blanket to put over him." Mark indicated the warm woolen blanket he held.

Vin Markure approached as they prepared to ease Jess onto the stretcher.

"Hold up a minute, doc," he said. "I need to talk to your visitors before you leave." Holding up a hand to forestall David's protests he promised, "Just a couple of questions.

"Jess, do you feel up to some questions?" McAllister asked.

"Sure doc. I-I can try anyway."

"Can you tell me what started all this? Why did the Rileys single you out?"

"Don't know," Jess whispered weakly. "Just sittin' by the food when this girl came up to me. We talked an' I told her I couldn't dance 'cause of my ankle."

"What girl Jess?" Slim asked.

"Don't remember - remember her name. Pretty blonde. Carrie something."

"Probably Carrie Peterson," Mark said.

"I know this is hard for you, Jess. I know you're hurting, pard, but Carrie wouldn't be the one who started this." Slim laid a gentle hand on Jess' left shoulder. "Was there another girl? After Carrie, I mean?"

"Yeah. Pretty redhead. Think I saw her before - with Cam maybe."

"One of Cam's friends?" That surprised Markure.

"Not Cam's friend. Too old."

"How old Jess?" Slim asked.

"Twenties. Small. Seemed like she knew me."

"Small redhead? Fits a lot of the girls around here," the sheriff said.

"Anything else Jess?"

"No more questions, Vin," David McAllister motioned to the volunteers. "I need to get my patient home, patched up and into bed."

"Ok, Doc. No more questions for your patient." He looked at Gordon and Slim expectantly. "I do, however, plan to ask your son and Mr. Sherman some questions."

"Make it fast, Sheriff, I want to go with Jess."

"Tell me what you know."

"We - Jess, our housekeeper, our ward and myself - came to Evergreen to visit the McAllisters and Cam Ramsay. The thought we'd like to attend the fair - especially since it's raising money for a good cause. "

"We attended the fair yesterday and today. Gordon's folks and Daisy - Mrs. Cooper - went to the reading of Jules Verne's book at the Greenaways. Cam decided to stay home - you know how she is about big parties and such."

"Yes," Markure nodded. "She's been that way as long as I've known her."

Gordon picked up the story here.

"Jess fell out of a tree the other day."

Markure's eyebrows went up.

Quickly Gordon explained about Duncan chasing the cat and Jess climbing up to retrieve it then, because the cat gave him such a hard time, losing his grip and landing too hard the wrong way.

"He sprained his ankle some and it's been bothering him since yesterday morning. He's supposed to be taking it easy but he's so fond of Cam and that pup that he overdid it on their outings and walking around the fair."

"Yeah, but he wasn't going to miss out on the dance," Slim said. "I wish he'd stayed home at the McAllisters'. He wouldn't be in this condition if he had."

"How did the fight start? Do you know?"

"Gordy and I were down at the far end of the dance floor. The Rileys already had Jess out here by the time we realized he wasn't sitting where we'd left him."

Markure looked around. "Does anybody know how this fight got started?"

"Yes." It was Karen Dunnigan who spoke up. "We girls did a little asking around while the fellows were trying to help Jess."

"Well what started this?" Markure was running out of patience at this point.

"The Rileys have been planning this for days," Vicky Compton joined them at this point. "And here is the person who set poor Mr. Harper up by telling them he'd insulted her." She gestured to a couple of young women behind her and they brought Jeannie Riley forward to face the music. A quite subdued and disheveled Jeannie Riley that was.

Her hair was hanging loose and tangled. Her once immaculate cream colored dress had red punch spilled down the front and frosting, from one of the cakes, smeared on it. Her eyes were still defiant though.

"Tell Sheriff Markure how you set Jess up to be beaten by your brothers," Karen said.

"I'll say nothing of the sort," Jeannie answered.

"You'll tell him the truth or we girls will have more to say to you and it won't just be punch and cake on your dress when we're through," Karen informed her.

"Sheriff! Are you going to let her threaten me again?"

"I don't hear any threats," Markure said. "And before you mention your dress I'll add that it could very well have been an accident." He fixed her with a steely gaze. "Now start talking!"

"You heard the man - talk!" Karen was angry. Jeannie had been causing trouble for years but this was the worst incident yet.

"It was all Colin's idea!" Jeannie exclaimed. "He said he wanted to get at Gordon McAllister but he couldn't so he decided to get at him through Slim Sherman. And Sherman and Harper won the contests they were supposed to win at the fair."

"Shut your mouth girl!" her oldest brother snarled.

"Keep talking, Jeannie," Karen said. "Tell Mr. Markure the whole story - like how you set Jess up." She gave the younger woman a none too gentle shake.

Slim, standing next to his friend, felt an urge to throttle the whole bunch. Jeannie's next words almost made him lose control. His eyes were icy as he stared at Colin, Jim, Mart and their sister. Only Gordon's restraining hand on one side, and David's on the other, kept him from acting on his feelings.

"All right! All right! I was mad. Cam Ramsay didn't introduce us and he didn't introduce himself or pay any attention to me," she said. "He's not going to forget me now. The boys saw to that!"

"I've heard enough!" Markure declared. "Mark, you, Tim, Jeff and Pete help Doc McAllister get his patient to the house. "

Mark Russell nodded and, followed by his friends, walked back to where Jess lay on the ground.

Half a dozen other volunteers helped Vin Markure take his prisoners to the jail. Said volunteers included Karen Dunnigan, Vicky Compton and a dozen more young ladies who would gladly take Jeannie Riley apart for what she'd done that night and over the last few years. Each of them had had a brother, cousin or friend assaulted by the Rileys because of her. Miss Jeannie Riley was escorted home by a dozen of them. She'd think twice before she tried that stunt again. Sheriff Markure couldn't arrest her because she'd really done nothing more than lie about Jess. It was her brothers, and their friends, who had actually assaulted him.

Slim watched them go, then limped back to Jess' side.

"On three," David McAllister said to the men who were going to transfer Jess to the stretcher. "One, two, three."

Four men lifted Jess and placed him gently on the stretcher that had been brought to the scene of the fight.

"Slim?" Jess reached out blindly for his friend.

"Right here, Jess." Slim took Jess' reaching hand in his. "We're going back to the house now and get you patched up."

"Does Daisy know what happened?"

"Yes, she knows.," Gordon told him. "She and Mother are at the house waiting to clean you up and put you to bed when Father is through with you."

Pain filled eyes looked at him questioningly.

"I told them myself, Jess. They're okay."

"Enough talk for now," David McAllister cut in. "Let's go."


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

Six men picked up the stretcher and started toward the McAllister house about three quarters of a mile away. As they approached they could see lights on in the side where David's office was, and in the kitchen in the back.

Gordon ran ahead, went up the back steps and around to the private entrance used by Dr. McAllister's patients.

Hannah heard them coming and met them at the door.

"Oh my!" she exlcaimed in a distressed tone. "How bad is it David"

"I don't know yet, Hannah. I need to do a thorough examination."

"Jess!" Daisy had joined them and was stunned by her "son's" condition. She went over to the table he was on and put a soft hand on his forehead.

"You boys can leave now, but do it quietly," Hannah told the stretcher bearers. "Cam and young Mike are both asleep and I want them to stay that way until morning."

The volunteers quietly said good night and patted a visibly worried Slim on the shoulder as they left.

"Hannah. take Slim in the kitchen, please, and have him soak his right ankle in hot water for about half an hour. Daisy can help me with Jess."

Seeing Slim open his mouth to protest McAllister said. "No argument, young man. I saw you fall. You've been limping since you got on your feet."

"Yes, sir," Slim sighed as he allowed himself to be led away.

"You go get cleaned up son." He turned to Gordon next. "Then help your mother keep

Slim out from under foot until I'm through."

"Almost as reluctant as Slim, Gordon left his father's office, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Now then, Daisy, let's get this boy cleaned up and see exactly how bad his injuries are.

Daisy soaked a small towel in a basin of warm water and proceeded to clean the patient's face of dirt and blood. Jess' right eye was starting to swell shut. He had an ugly gash on his left cheek.

"We'll put some of Hannah's salve on that later," David said. "She's been using it for years on our children, niece and grandchildren. It has aloe vera in it I used it on him last spring. It worked on his wrists quite well.

Frowning he lifted Jess so that Daisy could remove his vest and shirt. The long john top he had her cut away and toss aside to be disposed of later. He didn't like what he saw. Jess' lower rib cage, on the right side, was already turning black and blue. Gently he probed his patient's ribcage. He practically swore when he made his discovery.

"Those rotten..." He looked at Daisy. "Three, maybe four cracked ribs."

"Oh dear," Daisy was visibly upset but pulled herself together. "Well we'd best wrap him up now before he wakes up and gives us his usual line of being fine hadn't we?"

"He's one of those eh?" David grinned despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Yes. He's quite a difficult patient unless he's too sick to protest. Slim and I practically have to tie him to his bed to keep him down," she chuckled.

"From what the boys tell me that may not be a problem this time," the doctor said. "Once we get his ribs bound up I want to take a look at that ankle he sprained. It sounds like he aggravated the injury walking around all day and chasing Duncan."

Quickly the two set to work wrapping the patient's ribs. They were just finishing up when Jess' eyes began to flutter open and he moaned with pain. Before he could try to sit up he felt a gentle, soft hand on his forehead and a much larger and stronger hand on his shoulder.

"Easy Jess. Slow and easy," McAllister helped him to sit up.

"Doc. Daisy. What -what hap..."

"You were in a fight at the dance. Don't you remember?" the doctor asked him.

"One sided." the Texan said.

"Yes, very much so. The Riley - the oldest boys are in jail now as are some of their friends."

"Yeah. I remember. Some girl - their sister I guess - said I insulted her 'cause I refused to dance with her. Next thing I knew I was being dragged out of the dance and getting pounded on by all of them." He grimaced as he tried to sit up alone but fell back with a groan.

"Don't bother trying to hide it. I know you're hurting. You don't have to be brave about it on my account," Daisy told him as she brushed his curls back with a gentle hand.

"You could say that," the younger man admitted.

"How about that ankle?" David asked. "I hear you were limping pretty badly." He stooped to remove Jess' boot but stopped when the younger man nearly went through the ceiling.

"That's not a good sign, young man," David told him. "Your ankle must be pretty swollen if I can't pull that boot off without hurting you that much. I'm going to have to cut if off."

"No! Not my new boots!" Jess groaned as he attempted to sit up.

"Sorry Jess. It's the only way."

Jess cringed as David McAllister took a razor sharp scalpel to his right boot.

"Not good, Jess," the Texan was told. That ankle's pretty swollen." David frowned at his patient. "I told you, when you fell out of that tree, that you were to take it easy."

He nodded to Daisy who stood ready to wrap the injured limb.

"I'll leave you to take care of this while I go check on Slim."

He left Daisy with Jess and went out to the kitchen. Slim was just taking his foot out of the water while Hannah watched. Gordon was cleaned up other than his clothes. Hearing him approach

Slim looked up.

"How's Jess?" he asked anxiously as he dried his foot off in order to put the sock and boot back on.

Before answering David looked at his wife.

"Hannah, we'll need to put Jess in another room for a few days."

"A separate room? How bad is he?" Slim asked in a state of near panic.

"He's got at least three cracked ribs, a lot of bruises and a cut that needs some of Hannah's' aloe based salve. On top of that he overdid the walking around and chasing after Cam's pup. His ankle is quite swollen. I had to cut the boot off."

Slim gave a bark of laughter in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "I'll bet he was real happy about that!"

David grinned. "Well I didn't give him a choice in the matter.. We couldn't have gotten it off any other way - not without hurting him more.

"Why the different room Father?" Gordon asked curiously.

"The cracked ribs and the ankle are quite painful. He may run a fever and he probably won't sleep well. I intend to give him a dose of laudanum..."

"Good luck with that," Slim told him.

"...to help him sleep," David finished his sentence. "Sharing a room with another adult is one thing. Sharing it with a rambunctious youngster is quite another." He cut off Slim's protests in Mike's defense. "I know Mike's a good boy, and he adores the two of you, but children his age are active, curious and talkative. Besides we don't want to wake the boy up when we get Jess upstairs. It might upset him enough to cause nightmares." He looked at Slim. "You've both told me how Mike had nightmares for a while after his folks were killed. Seeing Jess, in the condition he's in right now, could bring them back. It's better he doesn't see him until morning."

"I'll have the bed made in the room across the hall from us in five minutes," his wife told him.

Hannah then left the kitchen to go upstairs and prepare the room for the invalid.

"Now then, Slim, I'll have a look at your ankle and those ribs of yours. I saw Colin Riley kick you at the greased pig contest. I want to make sure _you_ don't have any cracked ribs."

Strong fingers probed for a minute before the doctor heaved a sight of relief.

"Nothing seriously wrong with your ankle. Just make sure you take it easy for a few days like Jess was supposed to. Your ribs are bruised but I don't find any other damage thank the Lord. Having one of my guests all banged up is more than I had bargained for." He patted the young man on the shoulder. "I'm not even going to wrap it unless it bothers you too much." He gave him the same look he used to give his rambunctious sons.

"I hate it when he gives me that look," Slim said to a grinning Gordon. The doctor's look was a severe "you do as I say and things will be just fine" expression.

"I know what you mean," his friend replied. "It's almost as bad as getting it from Mother."

"Please! Not that! I can't take it when she gives me that 'I'm telling you this for your own good' look!."


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

Hannah returned just then. Smiling she said, "You only get that look when you misbehave."

She looked at her husband and said "I checked on Cam and Mike while I was upstairs. They're both sound asleep. The bed is ready. If you're going to move Jess I suggest you do it now before one of them rouses for some reason."

"Gordon, I'll need your help. We need to be as gentle as possible and that means the two of us who aren't limping." Seeing Slim's upset expression Dr, McAllister said, "Hannah and Daisy will walk in front of us. Slim will walk behind us in case we need help."

The foursome left the kitchen and went to David's office. Jess was lying down again. His somewhat labored breathing was an indication of the pain he was in. Slim cringed when he saw his partner bandaged up and the bruises on his face. The gash was raw and nasty looking.

"Daisy would you bring the laudanum, please? We'll give him a dose once we get him upstairs and into bed. I'm afraid it will take effect too quickly if we give it to him now. He needs to be awake so he can sit up. The stretcher would be absolutely too difficult to maneuver up the stairs and around the corner into the hallway."

He and Gordon positioned themselves on either side of the injured man and gently eased him into a sitting position and off the table. Slim was right there to help Jess into their arms. As they proceeded to move into the hall, the tall rancher was no more than a few inches behind his friend ensuring that he didn't suddenly fall backward. They walked silently down the hall. Any communication was done in a whisper.

It didn't take long to get Jess settled in bed. Slim removed his one boot and his pants. The two mothers pulled the covers up and made sure he was well covered against any chills. Hannah went downstairs for water and a small towel in case it was needed later on.

David took the spoon and the laudanum from Daisy and poured a dose for his patient. He held out the spoon and fixed his recalcitrant patient with a steely gaze.

"Open up, Jess and no arguments. The ribs alone are painful but your ankle must be pretty painful as well."

Amazingly Jess did as he was told, then closed his eyes again. Within a couple of minutes he was sound asleep.

"Hopefully he'll sleep through the night," the doctor said. "I think we should all go to bed. If he's feverish during the night Hannah can take care of him or she and Daisy can take turns sitting up with him."

Somewhat reluctantly they all went to bed but David McAllister was called out, before he got there, to check on Mart Riley's wrist at the request of their sheriff. Upon examination it was found to be badly sprained, but not broken. He got no sympathy from either the doctor or the sheriff as it was wrapped.

Sunday morning dawned clear and cold. Hannah was the first to awaken. Grabbing her robe, she quickly donned it and quietly went across the hall to check on Jess.

The patient was sleeping fairly comfortably, thanks to the laudanum he'd been given. His face was pale and bruised but there was no sign of fever. Later on she'd clean the gash again and this time apply some of her salve to help speed the healing.

Quietly, for it was still early, she went downstairs to start a fire in the kitchen. When she was satisfied that it was well started she went back upstairs to dress.

In the upstairs hall she met up with Daisy, who was already dressed and headed for Jess' room.

"Good morning, Daisy," Hannah smiled. "Did you sleep well?"

"When I wasn't fussing over Jess," Daisy replied. "How is he this morning?"

"See for yourself."

The two women, careful not to rouse the sleeping man, entered the sick room. Jess was just as he had been when Hannah had made her way downstairs and showed no signs of waking up just yet.

"Why don't you sit with him while I get dressed?" the doctor's wife suggested.

The other woman smiled and went to sit by the patient's bedside.

Mrs. McAllister went to her room and found her husband in the process of getting dressed himself.

"How's my patient?" he asked.

"Still sleeping. Daisy's with him now."

"Best thing for him," David said, "after the beating he took last night Between the ribs and that ankle it's going to be a few days before he's up and around. I'm confining him to bed until that ankle heals up some. It was pretty badly swollen last night."

"From what Daisy says we'd better plan on someone keeping him company when he's not sleeping. He's not one for staying put when he's hurt."

So she told me last night," David laughed. "I think there's enough of us to make sure he behaves himself." He smiled. "Cam did a pretty good job of keeping him entertained the first time he was my patient. This time she'll have six others to see that he behaves himself including Slim and Mike."

Hannah had finished dressing by now and headed out the door.

"I'm going to break the news to Cam now - before she comes downstairs. She's going to be upset - she's so fond of him. This will give her a chance to compose herself before she comes downstairs."


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

In the guest room that the men, and boy, from Laramie had been sharing young Mike Williams was being told the news by Slim.

"Is he hurt really bad?" the boy asked.

"Yes, Mike. He's hurt pretty bad."

"Is he gonna die like my parents did?:

"No, Mike," Slim hastened to reassure him. He's going to have to stay in bed for a few days because of his ankle but he'll be up and around soon."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure." Seeing David in the doorway where he had stopped when he heard their voices, he added, "Why don't you ask Dr. McAllister?"

David entered the room and sat down on the other side of Mike who was seated on his bed.

Putting an arm around the youngster's shoulders he gave him a squeeze.

"He's going to be fine, Mike. He'll be very sore for a while but he'll be better by Christmas or shortly after."

The boy looked at the two adults and heaved a sigh of relief. Slim might tease him sometimes. He might even scold him but he had never lied to him. Mike sensed the same honesty in Dr. McAllister.

"Can I see him?" 

"After breakfast - or church. It depends on when he's awake." David tousled the boy's hair. You finish getting dressed and come down for breakfast.

"Ok."

Dr. McAllister turned to his other patient

"How's the ankle this morning?"

"A little sore but not bad."

"Let's have a look at it before you get your boots on."

A quick examination showed that the ankle was only slightly swollen.

"Just take it easy for a few days and it'll be fine," McAllister told him. "Come on down to breakfast as soon as you're dressed. Daisy's sitting with Jess right now."

"We'll be down in a few minutes," Slim told him.

As David started out the door Slim stopped him with a question.

"Hey Doc? Does Cam know?"

"Hannah's telling her now."

"Hannah has already told her and she's taking it pretty well. That may change when she sees him though." Hannah McAllister heard their question and answered it. "I took her to see him for a minute. She's gone downstairs to start breakfast.

A few minutes later, after Hannah and David had gone downstairs Slim and Mike walked into the kitchen. Or ,rather, Mike walked and Slim limped. It didn't escape the girl's attention that her friend was limping. Neither her aunt, uncle or Daisy had thought to tell her of Slim's twisted ankle.

"What happened to you Mr. Sherman?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "Did Karen kick you for being fresh?"

"No. I just twisted it a little is all," the rancher told her.

"On the dance floor? Get our boot heel caught in a crack?"

"No."

"I know - Gordy kicked you for coming on to Vicky."

"No." Cam's teasing was getting to him.

"I've got it! You tripped over your big feet!" She couldn't stop giggling at the thought.

"You might as well tell her, Slim," David laughed. "She's going to get it out of you sooner or later. She always does."

"Yeah. You might as well tell me 'cause I'm going to get it out of you eventually," Cam told him.

"I tripped over a tree root," Slim replied. "There! Now you know! Are you happy?"

"Very," the teenager told him with a grin. "Now I've got something on you and Jess - you're both clumsy!"

"Now you just wait a minute!" Sherman was tired of being needled.

"Mike? Do you know what we call grown men who trip over tree roots?" She nudged him with her elbow and winked at him - eliciting a giggle and a big grin from the boy.

"No. What do you call grown men who trip over tree roots Cam?"

"Clumsy," she answered and the two youngsters burst out laughing while Slim scowled at them. His sense of humor always suffered when Cam was in this mood. This time it was his pride as well.

Breakfast was eaten and the dishes done. There was a brief discussion as to who would stay home with the patient. In the end it was Daisy who won the argument. Knowing David to be the only doctor in town which could mean sleepless nights and missed church services and social functions as well as quiet nights with his family, she insisted that he go and she would stay with Jess.

Upon their return from the morning services the two youngest members of the household, plus the puppy, went to the invalid's room to visit. He'd awoken in the bed made up with sheets that smelled of fresh air and lavender about half an hour after the others had left.

Daisy had checked him over and found no fever but that he was in a bit of pain from the cracked ribs. Dr. McAllister had ordered laudanum as needed. Against Jess' protests he'd been given half of what he'd had the night before. It made him more comfortable and up to having company for a couple of hours. When his eyelids began to droop, Cam wisely suggested to Mike that they take Duncan for a long walk and then they could fix Jess a supper tray and sit with him while he ate.

For the next four days Jess was confined to bed. It gave his ankle a chance to heal as well as starting the healing process on his ribs. Slim limped for a couple of days but, his ankle not being as badly injured, healed quicker than his partner's did.

On the sworn promise from Slim, Gordon, Cam and Mike, that they wouldn't let Jess overdo it, they were allowed to take the proposed, and promised, fishing trip. Hannah supplied the picnic lunch and included matches and some newspaper so they could have a fire on which to heat coffee and cocoa. Being late October at this point, hot drinks would be welcome. Gordon hitched the team to the borrowed wagon which was cushioned in back with a pair of mattresses, quilts and pillows, to make the ride as comfortable for Jess as possible.

The five friends spent the day at Cam's favorite fishing spot before calling it quits around two o'clock in the afternoon. Jess fell asleep in the back of the wagon before they were a quarter of a mile down the road. He was allowed to sit at the table for supper but was immediately sent to bed with a small dose of painkiller to help him sleep. He was down to less than a quarter of his original dose now. David McAllister was taking no chances on his needing it for long but wouldn't let Jess tough it out either.

Two days later Slim and Gordon packed the family's luggage and gifts and such into the back of the wagon. Once again it was well padded so the injured man could ride more comfortably.

"There! I think that's everything," Slim said as they loaded the last two bags in the back.

"I hope so," Gordon said with a laugh. "I think you're taking home more than you brought."

"That's because Daisy spent the last three days shopping," Slim joked.

"I heard that Slim Sherman," the lady in question said. "You'll be glad I bought all that wool and flannel when the cold weather sets in to stay in a month or so. The socks and mufflers and shirts will keep you boys nice and warm."

"Yes ma'am," he responded with a smile as he helped her climb up when she and Hannah had exchanged good-bye hugs.

"You do as I tell you and you'll be fine by Christmas if not sooner," David was telling Jess as he escorted his patient out to the wagon.

Jess moved slowly holding his side and trying to keep his arm still. Gordon and Slim helped him into the back of the wagon. Hannah made sure he was well covered against the chill.

Cam came out with a big box full of sandwiches and cold fried chicken, bread, pickles, sliced roast beef as well as cookies and anything else she could think of that they might like during the two day journey they had ahead of them. She and Hannah had insisted on making sure there was enough food for everyone - especially with a recuperating Jess being noted for his voracious appetite. Slim had wired ahead to Laramie for reservations at the hotel figuring that Jess would need to rest overnight after the train trip from Red Bluff.

After she had tucked the box under the front seat, out of reach of the ever hungry Harper boy, she gave Daisy a hug and a kiss. Then she went around to the back to give Jess a good-bye kiss on his cheek. Slim was next. She gave him a big hug to make up for not being able to hug Jess.

'Mike? Where are you? We're ready to go!" Slim called.

"Coming!" the boy answered from inside the house.

"What's he doing?" Slim asked Cam. The last he'd seen Mike he'd been "helping" pack the food.

"Getting Jess' trophy. We put it on the mantle to save it from Duncan remember?" Cam responded. "That puppy of mine has a sweet tooth. I haven't been able to get it through that thick skull of his that the sweets in this house are not for him. He's forever begging for pieces of cookie and stuff."

Just then Mike came running out of the house carrying the marzipan trophy Jess had won in the pie eating contest. Duncan was underfoot looking for attention and trying to get at the trophy which he could smell and knew it was edible. He completely ignored his mistress' command to sit and got in Mike's way one too many times. The boy ended up tripping over him and the trophy flew into the air.

Several people tried to catch it before it hit the ground. They all failed. It landed on one of the flagstones on the path to the house and shattered.

"Oh Duncan! You're a bad boy!" Cam cried out in dismay as her puppy started devouring the trophy before she could get hold of him.

She turned to Jess with a sad expression.

"I'm sorry Jess. I should have tied him in the back yard or something. Your beautiful trophy is ruined."

"Don't worry about it Cam," the Texan said. "It wasn't your fault - or yours either," he said to his ward who was equally upset.

"Let's get going before something else happens," Slim said as he boosted Mike into the wagon before giving Hannah a fast hug and shaking hands with David.

"Have a safe trip and don't forget to let us know when you get home and..."

"And how Jess is doing," Slim finished her admonition for her.

Into the wagon he climbed followed by Gordon who had just finished tying Rocky and Galway to the back of the wagon.

A light slap of the reins and a 'hup" they were on their way to Red Bluff to catch the train that would take them home to Laramie.


	37. Chapter 37

**Epilogue**

A week after they arrived home, Slim drove into Laramie to pick up some supplies and stop at the post office. In his hands he had a letter to the McAllisters and Cam.

 _Dear beloved McAllister family and Cam,_

 _We arrived home three days after we left you. We stayed overnight, in Laramie, as David suggested. Jess bore the wagon ride, to Red Bluff all right - as I'm sure Gordon told you - but he was exhausted by the time we got to Laramie on the train._

 _I wanted to thank you for the wonderful time we had during our visit. True the boys had a rough time of it toward the end - sprained ankles and a beating resulting in cracked ribs - but up until that time it was wonderful to get acquainted with Cam's family. She's a wonderful girl. She's gentle, kind, considerate, and talented. She's also one of the few people that can keep Jess occupied when he's stuck in bed. She certainly keeps Slim and Jess on their toes. It does them good to be around a young woman that doesn't fawn all over them._

 _Jess is doing well. He doesn't need the laudanum unless he tries to do too much. Slim's keeping an eye on him. He's not permitted to lift saddles or harness though he is allowed to bridle the more cooperative horses. He spends a lot of time with Drifter and Galway while Mike is at school. I put him to work peeling potatoes and apples and such other light duties as I can find to keep him occupied. It's far too cold for him to take Mike fishing and he can't go hunting yet so I have to be creative in finding things for him to do._

 _Slim's ankle is completely healed. He spends his days with a couple of the neighbors' ranch hands tending to the damaged fences and moving the herds down to lower ground. Tommy Everett, Dan Fulton and Mark Dennison - boys that Cam met during her visit last summer - have been helping him by keeping up with the barn chores and changing the teams when the stages come in. Jess is permitted to supervise but the boys know what they're doing. They humor him though. They know he's frustrated at being so limited as to what he can do until his ribs heal._

 _Mike is having a wonderful time telling his friends about how he and Cam set Jess up to enter the pie eating contest. Of course, he leaves out the part about having to help Cam do the laundry to make up for Jess having blackberry stains all over his shirt and on his pants. Boys will be boys and boys will keep secrets when it comes to doing "women's work" - though that's not what he calls it. He calls it "girls work". He's not told anyone, I don't think, about how he won the corn husking contest. I'm not sure whether he thinks that's bragging or what. I know that our sheriff, Mort Cory, enjoys that story. I believe he eggs Mike on to tell him about it and the greased pig contest. Has Cam been writing to him by any chance? I'm sure Gordon and David have told her all about it and she'd certainly enjoy telling others about how her uncle tricked them into entering. Mort's very fond of Slim and Jess but he's not above having a good laugh at their expense when the opportunity presents itself._

 _As for me - my days are filled with feeding the boys and the stage passengers, cleaning house, doing laundry, cooking. Jess eats twice as much as the others. I can make a pie, or a cake, that should last for several days but is gone in less than two._

 _Please do keep in touch. Cam is welcome to visit any time. I'm sure the boys would agree though they might hesitate slightly when they remember the snowball attack of last winter. Mike says she's promised to teach him how to ice skate so he'll be thrilled if she comes for a visit this winter._

 _Daisy_

It was this letter than Slim was mailing when he bumped into Tommy Everett at the post.

"Hi Mr. Sherman!"

"Hi Tom! How're your folks?"

"They want you to come for dinner so they can hear about your trip to Evergreen and maybe help plan a fundraiser, of some kind, here in Laramie. To help that orphanage."

"Be glad to. The folks in Evergreen raised a considerable amount of money with the fair they just had. We wouldn't want the folks in Evergreen to think Laramie's not just as generous now would we?"

"No sir," Tom said.

Slim spied the envelope in Tommy's hand. "I see you have another letter to mail. It wouldn't be to a certain somebody in Evergreen would it?"

Tommy blushed to the roots of his hair.

'"Yes, sir. It's a letter to Cam. We write each other once a week."

"I see." Slim's eyes twinkled. "You wouldn't be sweet on her by any chance would you?"

"We're just friends. That's all. Just friends."

Slim laughed, clapped the boy on his back and left with the mail for the ranch. He was still laughing when he went into the general store to collect Daisy's groceries and such. Young love. It was going to be a lot of fun watching this potential romance develop.


End file.
